


Ben, the Robber's Son

by Sourlander



Category: Ronja Rövardotter | Ronia the Robber's Daughter - Astrid Lindgren, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Historical, Astrid Lindgren, F/M, Gen, Kylux - Freeform, M/M, Mother Son Relationship, Ronia the Robber's Daughter, Stormpilot, family troubles, robbers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2018-12-12 22:27:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 23,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11746452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sourlander/pseuds/Sourlander
Summary: “Hum,” the robber muttered, “he’s not exactly heavy now, is he.”Leia laughed. “What did you expect, a big, fat robber chieftain with a beard?”“Heh…” Obi-Wan cradled the boy, nodding along to the robber’s singing. “Brendol will be fuming with rage!” He laughed, holding little Ben tightly. “The Amidala clan will endure will the Hux clan can go to hell!” He laughed and stopped short.Ben grows up adored by his mother's robbers, he enjoys roaming the forest by himself and feeling like its rightful owner, until, one day, the arch enemy shows up, claiming the forest, too.A "Ronia, the Robber's Daughter" AU





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [QianLan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/QianLan/gifts).



> Hi guys,
> 
> this AU has been on my mind for a while now and I can't wait to show it with you, if you're willing to accompany me on this journey. If you know Astrid Lindgren's masterpiece "Ronia, the Robber's Daughter", I'm sure you're as excited about this as I am ;). If not, come along anyway and help me find out how this is going to work out.
> 
> I realized half-way through writing it, that I'm actually doing all of this for [QianLan](http://archiveofourown.org/users/QianLan/pseuds/QianLan) who encouraged me to write it and who keeps doing so almost every single day! So I finally got around to changing the dedication! Because this fic is dedicated to you most of all! 
> 
> Enjoy!

** Ben, the Robber’s Son **

_Chapter 1_

 

  


 

Thunder was rolling over the forest the night Ben was born. The ground shook in terror of the lightning bolts threatening to strike the mighty, ancient trees, but Leia didn’t feel their fear. All she heard were the loud and mocking shouts coming in through the open window.

The screams of the harpies, their shrill voices echoing through the warm room, trying to rob it of the warmth within, made Han reach for a pitcher and throw it through the narrow window. “Shut up!” he shouted, his hands clenched in tight fists. “We’re having a baby tonight!”

The harpies screeched even louder, laughing and cackling and flying so close by the window, their razor-sharp talons almost reached Han’s arm. He cursed, moving back from the window, when Leia called out to him.

“Give me the damn crossbow, Han!”, she said through clenched teeth, her hair sticking to her sweaty forehead. She’d been in labour for hours now, but she’d only allowed him to take her up to their bedchamber when the thunderstorm had started. The robbers below had been wondering for a while now, when the child would come, but until late this afternoon, Leia hadn’t allowed herself to let them see what was going on.

“A storm-born child!” The harpies screeched. “Small and ugly! Small and ugly!”

How he hated them! How he hated each and every one of them! Han reached for the crossbow, loaded it and aimed for the window.

“I said, give it to me!” The fierceness in Leia’s voice made him flinch, but he knew better than to disobey. The chief of the Amidala robbers was not someone to cross at the best of times, and now was surely not the right moment to upset her.

“Leia…” he said, carefully, approaching her bed, but before he could say anything else, she had ripped the crossbow from  his hands and, laying on her side, aimed at the window. He was sure as hell not going to ask her if she shouldn’t concentrate on the child. She knew what she was doing.

Sure enough, her first arrow that flew through the window was followed by a high-pitched scream and a mighty outcry from the pack. Leia pressed her lips into a tight line. Her face was ashen, her muscles tense.

“Let me handle this,” he said as calmly as he could, reaching for the crossbow, and when she released her grip on the weapon, he knew that what she was going through here must be the worst pain she’d ever experienced.

“Han, I can do this.”

Han whirled around. Luke was standing in the doorway. Leia’s brother, tall and severe looking, clad all in black, approached the bed with an outstretched hand. “She’s going to need you.”

“I’m still here, you know,” Leia hissed at Luke, her eyes watery, but she didn’t object. She threw her head back, stifling a groan.

Luke reached out to her, touching her forehead. “It will be alright, Leia,” he said in a tone so soft, Han would never have managed. He took the crossbow from Han and moved towards the window, where the harpies were crying louder than ever against the deafening thunder.

“How are the guys downstairs?” Leia huffed, her face going red now as the next contraction set in.

Luke shrugged, putting an arrow in the crossbow and aiming outside casually. “Drinking,” he said calmly, though the smile was clearly audible in his voice. He released the arrow and the harpie’s scream of agony made Han close his eyes for a moment. “The bald guy keeps refilling everyone’s cups, but no one objects.” He shrugged, starting to hum softly. The wolf’s song. Han knew it by heart. It was an ancient song Leia sang often, too. Tonight, it made him shiver. Leia though seemed to calm down, hearing the soft melody accompanied by the thunder, which grew ever louder. A flash of lightning illuminated her face as her eyes focused on a point somewhere over Luke’s shoulder.

 

Not since Luke’s and Leia’s birth all those years ago, had a child been born in the castle, which had belonged to the Amidala family for generations. No one but bald-headed Obi-Wan remembered that day. Slowly but surely the elderly robbers which had served under Luke’s and Leia’s parents had died, or retired, and after Padmé’s death over ten years ago, only Obi-Wan remained, claiming he had nowhere else to go anyway. He kept refilling the cups of the robbers, making sure no one went to sleep. Not that anyone wanted to leave the Great Hall. Their chief needed their support, even if support meant drinking beer until the first rays of sunlight.

            Little Poe, a robber merely more than a boy, elbowed his friend Karé in the side, when he saw movement at the stairs. “Han?” he asked, getting drunkenly to his feet. He had only been with the robbers for a few months now and he couldn’t take as much as all the others yet.

            Han appeared in the doorway, holding a bundle in his arms. He was grinning broadly. “Anyone want to see your next chief?” he laughed, ignoring the mighty clap on the shoulder from Luke, as he walked past his brother in law to join the others.

            The robbers started cheering loudly, their voices echoing from the bare stone walls, even drowning out the thunder. Massive, hairy Chewbacca jumped on the table, dancing and shouting with the others, until Little Poe grabbed him by the arm and pulled him down again, lest the table collapse under the enormous bulk of Han’s old friend.

            “Is it a girl?” Karé asked hopefully, her eyes glinting softly, but Snap put a hand on her shoulder, making a shushing sound and almost choking on his beer.

            “Just wait, will you?”

            “Isn’t he just the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?” Han couldn’t stop grinning and he didn’t even wipe his eyes on his shoulder, when he approached the robbers to stand in their midst. The robbers were upon him, forming a tight circle around him to get a good look at the first robber born within the castle walls in over three decades.

            “He’s a bit wrinkled, huh?” Bald Obi-Wan asked, his head slightly tilted. “Could be mine.”

            Han laughed, bumping his shoulder into Obi-Wan’s.

            “What are you going to call him?” asked Little Poe, pushing his head between Karé’s and Chewbacca’s. He was standing on a bench to see better. Yes, he was small, but he was also the best rider the robber’s had in their midst, managing to outrun every possible target and stopping it, if necessary.

            “Ben,” came a voice from behind and everyone whirled around.

            Leia was standing in the doorway, supporting herself on the rough-hewn wall, but looking strong and healthy as ever, albeit a bit tired. The robbers cheered loudly, clapping and stomping their feet. When they had calmed down somewhat, Obi-Wan spoke up.

            “What would you have done, had it been a girl?”

            Leia shook her head. “If I say I want a Ben, I’m getting a Ben,” she said decisively, stepping forward and approaching her husband. The robbers made room for her immediately. The baby moved his lips, his arms waving helplessly through the air and Leia felt a shiver run down her spine, which had nothing to do with the fatigue. This boy, this little child, was already taking up every single fibre of her heart, and as of yet, he hadn’t even looked at her properly. She looked up at Han, saw the tear glistening in his eyes and wiped it away with her thumb.

            Luke brought her a fur, draped it over her shoulder and she sat down amongst her robbers. She would go to sleep soon. She had to, but not showing up down here had seemed impossible. These men and women were her family as much as Luke and Han were. They had supported her, done everything she had told them, even when she hadn’t been able to accompany them on raids, and they deserved to see that she was well. The robber’s started singing now, banging their cups on the table, a few of them dancing around the seating area.

            “Can I hold him?” Obi-Wan asked, and Han didn’t hesitate to put the boy into the elderly man’s arms.

            “Hum,” the robber muttered, “he’s not exactly heavy now, is he.”

            Leia laughed. “What did you expect, a big, fat robber chieftain with a beard?”

            “Heh…” Obi-Wan cradled the boy, nodding along to the robber’s singing. “Brendol will be fuming with rage!” He laughed, holding little Ben tightly. “The Amidala clan will endure will the Hux clan can go to hell!” He laughed and stopped short.

            A mighty crash which shook the entire castle, made everyone fall silent. Outside, nothing but the rushing of wind and rain could be heard. Luke slowly got to his feet, as Ben started crying loudly.

            “What was that?” Han jumped to his feet.

            “That was something…” Obi-Wan muttered, giving the child back to his mother. “I’ll eat my hat if that one didn’t strike the castle.”

            The thunder resumed. So did the flashes of lightning. And Obi-Wan had been right. Amidala Castle had been struck, by a lightning bolt so strong, it had cleaved the ancient castle had in two.

 


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

 

__

 

The northern side of the castle had been separated from the southern side, cutting off all access to that part of the castle. For a while the robbers had wondered whether or not to build a bridge over the monstrously deep chasm dividing the two halves, which they soon started calling Hell’s Gap. In the end they realized that since no one lived in that part of the castle, building a bridge wasn’t worth the effort.

            Time went by, the robbers and their chieftain heading out into the forest every day to lie in wait for one of the many travellers who had to go through the robber’s forest. And there was not only the one band of robbers the traveller, be he merchant, soldier or pilgrim, had to be wary of. The Amidala Robbers and the Hux Robbers were equally feared. Going through the forest was the quicker route and not many dared to cross the mountains to avoid Robber Road, as it was called. The mountains were perilous at the best of times, when the weather was good and all one had to look out for were cracks in the rock and the harpies circling overhead. The harpies alone would have been enough to keep most people out of the mountains, but the weather changed quickly up there and that made the crossing even harder.

            Leia’s robbers stole whatever they could get their hands on, mostly food supplies, money, and the odd trinket here and there, and young Ben couldn’t help but wonder where his mother and their robbers found all those sacks of flour, barrels of dried peas, balls of cloth and all the other magnificent things they brought back up to the castle. And no one talked of it before him, not even Luke, who was his constant companion during those first early years. He and Obi-Wan remained at the castle, Luke being responsible for the household, and Obi-Wan for watching over Luke, as he put it.

            Luke Amidala had never wanted to be the chieftain, leaving that role gladly to his twin sister Leia. When their father had died, Luke had taken over his job, while Leia appointed Han her second-in-command. Obi-Wan often commented on how more at ease Luke looked now that he didn’t have to go out into the forest and lie in the mud all day in wait of a person stupid enough to cross the robbers’ path, or fight off the Hux Robbers trying to steal their loot, or try to steal the Hux Robbers’ loot in turn.

            But Ben stayed inside the castle, exploring every nook and cranny in it southern side, growing up with the robbers’ songs and dances, and listening to Obi-Wan’s wonderfully weird tales of fairies and gnomes, all of which seemed to end with him besting, or tricking them all. Unless Leia was in the same room, at which point, a strong, mighty warrior princess would take the role of the clever protagonist of the story. Ben loved these stories, but above all, he loved his family. Strong Leia, clever Han and caring Luke along with funny Obi-Wan were just the supporting pillars of his life. Each and every one of the robbers adored him, and he admired them in return.

            One day, around his eleventh birthday, he asked Luke to teach him how to wield a sword. He had seen the robbers practice sword fighting and archery in the courtyard, and he wanted to learn, no matter what. He knew Leia, and especially Han, were too protective of him. And so he asked Luke. And Luke didn’t hesitate to comply and the two of them started their lessons as soon as the robbers had left the castle, the clashing of metal ringing through the empty courtyard, while the goats and chicken stood by and watched the two unequal sparring partners.

            When Leia and Han found out what Luke had started teaching Ben, they gave in to the inevitable, and though Leia didn’t like it much, she had to admit that her little boy was growing up faster than she liked. After one particularly rich haul, she gave Ben his first sword. Though simple in appearance, it was a good weapon, skilfully forged and well-kept. It was exactly the right size for him. Despite the harpies’ predictions the night of his birth, Ben was tall for his age.

            While the robbers’ were dancing and singing one evening, Little Poe being more boisterous than ever before, after unseating a guard and earning a pretty ring with shiny rubies as a reward, Han took Leia to the side, eyes fixed on Ben, who was looking up at Little Poe with gleaming, admiring eyes. “Don’t you think, he’s old enough now?” he asked in a whisper, as Poe jumped over the table, landing on Chewbacca’s back.

            Leia scowled at him, feeling apprehension like she had never felt before, but she didn’t interrupt Han, when he spoke again. She had respected him since he had joined the Amidala Robbers all those years ago. He hadn’t been like the other soldiers in that escort. In fact, he had even laughed at the robbers’ antics. Genuinely laughed at their audacity. His bravery and, yes, his total admiration of Leia, their fearless leader, had left a lasting impression on her. When he’d shown up at the canyon through which the one and only path to the castle had been carved centuries before.

            “He can handle it,” he said, touching her arms and looking straight into her eyes.

            Leia shook her head, already dreading the day her son found out what she and her robbers did to survive. Not that she was ashamed of it. Not really. Her mother and father had been robbers, and so had their parents before them, fighting vigorously against the Imperial forces which had invaded and taken over their land so long ago. By now there was no other way for them left to go but live here in the forest and live off what they could steal. Not that it was a bad life at all. “Let him roam the forest first,” she said quietly, looking up at Han and smiling slightly. “He’s still too young.”

            Han didn’t hesitate to nod and so he waved Ben over to tell him the good news.

 

Next day, Luke put Ben on Leia’s horse, behind his mother. He had packed him a satchel filled with a water flask, some bread and boiled eggs, so Ben wouldn’t go hungry until the evening. “Take care, Ben,” he said with a smile.

            “Yes, make sure you’re back before dinner, or I’m gonna eat your portion, too!” Obi-Wan said.

            Luke looked over his shoulder and clapped Obi-Wan on the back. “Be quiet, old man,” he laughed and waved in goodbye, as Leia rode through the castle gate, all her robbers behind her.

            Ben had never been outside the castle. In his eleven years, he had only ever seen the canyon leading into the forest from afar. He barely recognized the robbers’ singing, so focused was he on the moist smell and the high walls of rock standing high on either side of them as they moved through the canyon, with the dark forest in front of them.

            “Ben?” Leia said softly and Ben gave a sound, indicating that he was listening. “I want you to watch out. For the wild harpies, and the gray dwarf, and the Hux Robbers.”

            Ben nodded, eyes trained on the narrow strip of grey-blue sky visible above. “How will I know which are which?” he asked with a frown.

            “You’ll find out.”

            “All right.”

            “And make sure you don’t fall into the river.”

            “And what do I do if I fall into the river?”

            “You swim.”

            “And watch out you don’t get lost in the forest.”

            “What do I do if I get lost in the forest?”

            “Find the right path,” Han said behind them and Ben turned around to see his father smiling widely at him.”

            “And watch out you don’t fall into Hell’s Gap.”

            “And what do I do if I fall into Hell’s Gap?”

            Leia was silent. So was Han. Ben looked from one to the other. “Well?”

            “Nothing, I expect,” Poe said from behind with a winning smile.

            Han scowled at him.


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

 

There was so much to see. So much to explore and feel. The soft, moist texture of the moss beneath his bare feet was the first thing that made him laugh. It felt like walking on a grassy sponge. And then there were the trees, the wind rustling in them, making him want to lie in the grass and listen to it all day. But there was no time for that. He couldn’t stop walking and staring up at the sky. He didn’t wander far from the path that first day, though he never sat down, and wandered through the sheer endlessness of Amidala forest without pausing. He climbed rocks, tried to scramble up a tree to take a closer look at a squirrel, but he only got a couple of feet up the sleek bark, before he fell back down and landed on his backside.

            He scowled up at the tree and at the squirrel, thinking for a moment that it was laughing at him, but then he got back up again and started off again. When he got back to Amidala Castle, he was so dirty, Luke wouldn’t allow him to sit down at the table, before he hadn’t washed up, something he only ever told the robbers, but never before Ben.

            And so Ben went back every single day, getting to know the trees and the lake, though the animals, including the wild horses, never allowed him to get too close to them. It took him a while to realize that he had to stay at a distance, making no sound, if he wanted to see them, and that, if the wind blew the wrong way, they’d run from his scent. Soon he knew that it was best to lie on the ground to watch them, and he especially liked looking the horses grazing out on the big meadow. Every now and then one of the younger ones would break from the herd and start chasing another one, and Ben couldn’t help but grin at the energy the young black one displayed. One day, he told himself, he’d catch that one and tame it. Then he’d be able to ride about, just like Han and Leia.

            It was a particularly hot day, when Ben fell asleep while watching the horses, and he only woke up, when he heard the voices.

            Voices, unlike any human’s.

            Voices creeping up on him in the darkness.

            Ben sat up, his heart beating wildly in his chest. It was late. Far too late!

            The shadows moving about in the darkness surrounding him, made him want to scream. To shout out for help that would never come, but nothing but a soft whimper escaped his trembling lips. He saw the light yellow orbs floating beneath the trees, heard the soft cackling, metallic sounding voices draw nearer and he jumped to his feet, drawing his sword. It fell from his hands with a clatter and the beasts started howling with laughter, making the hair on his neck stand on end. “Get away from me!” he shrieked, his own voice sounding feeble amongst the whooping laughter.

            He bent over, picking the sword back up, but the cold metal didn’t feel like an extension of his arm anymore. It felt like it would never, not in a million years, get him out of this situation. And the beasts were not impressed by either it, or by him.

            They were getting closer now and Ben shouted once more, ignoring the tears stinging in his eyes: “I said: get away! Go to hell!” His voice was getting shriller, betraying his horror, his fear, at the sound of feet shuffling ever closer.

            And then he saw them. The lights of torches. The loud, confident shouts. “Ben!” His father’s voice. And at that, the orbs vanished and the creatures hurried off, as the robber’s broke through the line of trees and Han and Leia led the charge. Ben saw the slim, furry shadow creatures vanish in the trees, as Han ran towards him, wrapping him tightly in his arms. “Ben…” he heard his mother’s voice, as the robbers formed a tight circle around them. “Are you alright?”

            Ben nodded, his heart still pounding in his chest and his breathing shallow. He was safe. His parents had come for him.

 

Thus Ben learned what gray dwarves were and that the only way to get rid of them was to show no fear. That was what Leia had meant when she’d told him to watch out for them. And that was what Ben did from that day forth.

He taught himself not to be afraid. He had learned how to swim, but he had to get to know the river, if he was supposed to watch out for it and not to be afraid of it. So he jumped from rock to rock in the rapids. He climbed the highest trees, so he’d know how to get up them in case he ever needed to. In short, he did everything he could think of, to familiarize himself with the dangers of the forest and had Leia and Han known what he was doing in the process, they would surely have locked him up in the dungeon.

After a particularly sunny day, on which he had managed to blind one of the harpies with the blade of his sword long enough to get away from her, he returned to the castle. He had climbed the steep hill towering over the river and made his way up to the castle from the river bank a few days previously, but now there was only one thing left to do on his list. He had to watch out for Hell’s Gap. He’d been on the rooftop before, of course, but so far he’d never been so close to the edge as he was now.

He was lying on his stomach, staring down at the abyss separating the southern half of the castle from the northern half, when he heard a soft whistling sound. Ben whirled around, but there was no one there behind him. And there it was again, coming clearly from the other side of Hell’s Gap, where no one had been in years.

Ben sat up straight, unbelieving. But sure enough, there was someone sitting there on the battlement across from him. Someone who must have sneaked up there, while Ben was trying to determine how deep Hell’s Gap truly was.

It was a boy. About his age with straight, chin-length copper hair. And he was grinning broadly and waving at him.

Ben blinked. “Who are you?!” he shouted. Was he hallucinating?

“I’m Armitage Hux Brendolson.”

“You’re who?!”

“Something wrong with your ears? I’m Armitage Hux Brendolson! And you’re that Amidala boy who’s always running around in the forest!”

“What are you doing here?” Ben couldn’t understand… he… how could this boy even be here? A Hux robber in Amidala Castle?! It was unheard of!

“We moved in last night!”

“You- what?”

“You can’t be that stupid! We-“ the boy pointed at his chest, “moved in,” he pointed at the battlements he was sitting on, “last night!” He spread his arms wide, that wicked grin still on his face. It made Ben scowl in anger.

“Well you’d better move out again! Wait till Leia hears of this! Then all Hux Robbers will fly out of Amidala Castle like a fart in the morning!”

The boy shrugged. “You’re Ben, right? Ben Amidala Leiason?”

“Shut up!”

“Well, that’s rude!”

“I’ll tell you what’s rude!”

“You will?”

“Yes! Yes, I will! Come on over here and I’ll smack that grin out of your face!”

The boy shrugged again. “Alright!” He got up, went backwards a few paces and at that precise moment Ben knew he was going to jump! He was going to jump over Hell’s Gap! And he couldn’t have that! He wouldn’t allow that horrible, rude boy to be the first to jump, when he had come here first to do it. And they both jumped at the same time, crossing the abyss in a single leap.

“I thought you were gonna beat me up!”

“Oh, I will!”

But as soon as the boy made to jump again, Ben leaped over the abyss again. To and fro they went, jumping without pausing, Ben trying to catch up to the other boy, or besting him, he couldn’t tell. And then it happened. Ben had just landed on Leia’s side of the castle and whirled around to jump again, when Armitage missed and fell.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

The boy hadn’t made a sound, though as Ben stood on his side of Hell’s Gap he could still hear the tiny stones tumbling down, hitting rocks here and there on their descent into darkness. Every single sound echoed loudly through his head. How had this happened? The other boy, this Armitage person had seemed so sure-footed! How could he, Ben, have let this happen?

            Ben sank to his knees, still staring wide-eyed at the place where Armitage had vanished. All insults and ill wishes forgotten, he crept forward on his hands and knees.

            “You still there?”

            Ben flinched but at the same time he heaved a sigh of relief. “Yes!” he croaked, peering over the edge, only to see the read-head standing on a ledge so narrow he could barely stand on it. He was holding on tightly to a couple of fissures above his head, but as he stared up at Ben with terrified eyes, the ancient mortar was starting to give way. He wouldn’t last long like this!

            “Care to help me get out of here?” The boy’s cocky tone of voice didn’t fool Ben one bit. Armitage was terrified, and rightly so.

            Ben swallowed hard. “Give me a second and shut your mouth!” And he did. The boy was pale as a sheet, sweat glistening on his forehead. Ben had to be quick or Armitage would be dead. With trembling fingers, Ben opened the know of the leather strap tied to his belt and threw one end down at Armitage. “Hold on to this as tight as you can!” he shouted, tying the other end around his middle. “But don’t start climbing before I tell you to!”

            Heart racing, Ben checked that the knot was secure, and he grabbed the leather strap tightly with one hand. Then he took hold of one of the battlements with the other. “Come on up!” he cried, bracing himself.

            The other boy was heavy and with every passing second, the leather strap dug deeper and deeper into his skin, his hand being unable to prevent it from tightening. Ben kept his eyes fixed on the edge, wondering how long it would take the boy to climb up. When he finally saw the red hair peek over the broken stones, he almost cried with joy, but then the face emerged and forced his face into a grim grimace.

            And there he was, pulling himself over the edge of Hell’s Gap, panting, his face smeared with sweat and dust, his knee bleeding, and Ben let go of the battlement, as the boy lay heaving on the ground.

            “Fine…” Ben hissed, walking over to where the boy was lying and took the other end of the leather strap towards himself again. “Off you go then.”

            The boy grinned, his white teeth gleaming in the sunlight. “I will, just give me half a minute.”

            Ben snorted. “Take as long as you like, but remember that Leia will be here as soon as I tell her about you and your robbers.”

            Armitage shrugged his shoulders. “Fine.” He sat up again, brushing the dust off his hands by rubbing them over his pants. “Thanks for saving my life though. That was pretty decent of you.”

            “Go to hell!”  Ben spat, turned around and headed for the door. But before he walked in, he turned around once more to see the boy running towards the edge and soaring over it. “Just don’t fall in again! I’m not going to pull you back up again!”

 

The gleam in Leia’s eyes was unmistakeable and Ben watched the cup she was holding more than her face. She’d fling it at the wall any second now, he was sure of it.

            “Are you sure?” she hissed through clenched teeth. Ben had expected her to start shouting.

            “Yes,” Ben said, looking around at the robbers, who were all staring at their chief expectantly. Surely, she would not stand for this. “He said his name is Armitage and he and his father’s robbers live there now.”

            Leia slammed her fist on the table, making Obi-Wan drop his own glass.

            “That damn robber! To come here and steal half my castle!”

            “Leia…” Han said softly, catching Ben’s eye and putting a hand on Leia’s shoulder. He was the only one who dared touch her when her nostrils were flared like this. She didn’t pull away, but looked at her husband with a scowl.

“Fine…” she muttered. “Luke! Go out there and tell them I want a word with Brendol!”

Luke, who was the only one not sitting down, pushed away from the wall he was leaning against. He had listened to Ben’s account of events from where he was standing and as he walked towards the door, he put a hand on Ben’s shoulder without a word. Little Poe and Snap followed him.

“Why didn’t anyone tell me about Hux’s offspring?!” Leia glowered at her robbers, but no one dared meet her eye. “I should have known that!”

Still no one looked at her and everyone’s gaze was focused on the worn table top, where dinner had grown cold long ago.

“Well, you see,” Han began, “they were only rumours...”

“You knew about it?” Leia shot at her and Han raised his hands defensively.

“It’s no wonder, we all thought it was a rumour…” Obi-Wan weighed in. “He’s not married after all and that boy is supposed to be a bar wench’s brat. From what I heard from these wonderful people here,” he looked at the men and women surrounding him, “she didn’t want to live with him in his stinky cave, so he just took the boy and left her where she was.”

He shrugged.

Leia huffed. She had no patience with people who preferred the comforts of a lawful life to the adventures the life a robber brought.

Just as she was about to rant some more, Little Poe came running through the door with the news that Brendol was already waiting for her at Hell’s Gap. Leia nodded at her robbers, got up and strode towards the exit, telling Ben to stay where he was.

Ben caught his father’s eye, who gestured for him to follow and put a finger to his lips with a wink.

And Ben didn’t need telling twice. He got up and followed the tall robbers without a word. When they reached the battlements, he climbed on top of the wall and peered over the heads of the robbers to the other side of Hell’s Gap. And there was Brendol, standing tall among his men and women, his dark red hair the same shade as his son’s, who was standing on the battlements right opposite Ben. He held up a hand, whistled softly and waved at him with a cheeky grin that made Ben want to hurl a stone over Hell’s Gap.

He and Leia were already deep in conversation.  

“I want you out of here straight away!” she shouted, Hand right by her side.

“Do you think we came here because we wanted to?” Brendol shot back, crossing his massive arms over his chest. “We couldn’t stay in our forest anymore! The soldiers-”

“I don’t give a damn where you stay as long as it’s not here!”

“Why so angry? There’s plenty of cargo passing through the forest! Enough for the both of us!”

Leia raised a clenched fist. “I will not share my spoils with you, you pig-headed donkey face! How did you get in here anyway? There’s not entrance to the castle from your side.”

“Ever heard of climbing, Leia?!” Brendol shook his head. “Listen, I don’t see why we can’t leave things as they are.”

“You can’t just waltz in here and steal half of my heritage! I will not stand for it?”

At that Brendol laughed heartily. “Look who’s talking morals now.”

“Oh, shut up!” Leia was still fuming. “I want you out of here by tomorrow morning, or I will come over there personally and kick your sad little butt out myself!”

 

Next morning, Ben was in the forest again. The fight between Brendol Hux and Leia had taken up most of the evening, but they hadn’t reached a conclusion. Of course, they hadn’t. The solution seemed simple enough: the Hux robbers had no business in their castle, so they had to leave. Though how that was to be done, no one could tell. They were just as strong as the Amidala robbers and just as determined to take a stand if need be. Things were only going to get harder and more complicated from now on. In fact, Leia had ordered two robbers to stand guard over Hell’s Gap day and night, and Brendol had done the same.

            But there was nothing Ben could do about that now and so he had made his way down from the castle once more. But today there seemed to be nothing enjoyable about the bees buzzing in the meadow, or the sound of the wind rustling through the trees. Leia and Han had stayed up late last night, and thought Ben had been unable to discern their words through the thick oak door separating his bedroom from theirs, their tone of voice had been unmistakeable. Leia was still furious and so was Han. They had argued, they had discussed their predicament, but as far as Ben could tell, they hadn’t been able to formulate a plan.

            As he sat there, staring up at the greyish sky, the events of the day before were all he could think about, and not even the soft singing of the blue jay could distract him. Only when a sharp cry cut through the air, making the bird fall silent, did he turn around. When he saw the person standing there, he felt his stomach clench. There he was again… that Hux boy. In his forest!

            “What are you doing here?” he shouted, jumping to his feet. “I was listening to my blue jay!”

            Armitage shrugged. “I can be here, if I want,” he retorted. “And it’s not your blue jay.”

            “Well, it’s my forest and I will not have you walk through it!”

            “Oh, I’m so sorry to tell you that! But it’s not your forest either. It’s my forest just as well! And the blue jay’s forest! And the harpies’ forest and the gnomes’ forest and the rumphobs’ forest, too. And the forest of the spiders and horses and all other animals!”

            “Well, I’m willing to share the forest with all of those!” Ben said sternly, walking towards Armitage. “But not with you!” And with that he pushed past him. He’d had enough. He’d return to the forest tomorrow and hope not to run into this boy again. But as he walked, he realized that the boy was right behind him.

            “Stop following me!” he hissed and Armitage stood still for a moment.

            “Alright… I get that you don’t want me near you, but to be perfectly honest, you’re the only guy around here my age!” He shrugged, looking grim. “And, in case you hadn’t noticed, it’s getting foggy and I can’t find my way back to the castle on my own yet… not with all the fog…”

            Ben looked around. No, he hadn’t realized the fog rising. He bit his lip, heaved a sigh and threw Armitage the end of the leather strap again. “Just keep your distance, robber boy…” he scoffed. Pretty soon it would be hard to see, and he remembered his own terror of his encounter with the gnomes in the dead of night all too well.

            And so they walked on, the fog growing thicker and thicker with every step they took, and though Armitage would never have admitted it, he was grateful for Ben’s help. That morning, it hadn’t looked like there would be fog, or else Brendol would never have permitted him to go outside… but no one could predict such a thing in the Robber’s Forest with certainty… especially not now that summer was drawing to a close. He held on tight to the strap, as the cold started to creep up his legs, making his insides feel numb with a nameless fear. And Ben… Ben was almost tumbling now, not really walking in a straight line like before anymore. Armitage stopped dead in his tracks. The fog had grown so thick, that all he could see were a few tree trunks and Ben’s outline.

            “I’m coming…” he heard Ben whisper, his voice hoarse and trembling with longing.

            “Hey!” Armitage shouted, running forwards and grabbing Ben’s shoulders. Had the other really no idea what was happening!? “Stop!”

            But Ben wouldn’t stop walking. He kept pulling towards in one direction now, eyes closed, and lips moving soundlessly.

            “Snap out of it!” Armitage yelled, shaking Ben violently. “It’s the Unearthly-Ones! Don’t follow their voices!” Terror took hold of him and he barely had the strength to push Ben backwards. Ben didn’t know he was receptive to their singing! Of course he didn’t!

            “Let go!” Ben muttered, trying to shake Armitage off, but when Armitage wouldn’t release him, he bit him, drawing blood. Reflexively, Armitage punched him on the nose. Ben tumbled backwards, fell down and looked up at Armitage, blinking.

            “What did you do that for?!” Ben hissed, jumping to his feet, his eyes glinting. “And why are you bleeding?!”

            Armitage cursed under his breath, looking around. The fog had lifted just as quickly as it had risen from the depths of the earth. “Was bitten by a wolf,” he spat back, touching his bleeding cheek. “I can find my own way now.”

            “Watch out that he doesn’t bite you again!”


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5_

 

 

Ben managed to avoid Armitage from then on. He didn’t want anything to do with this boy, and most of all he wanted things to go back to normal. The forest seemed darker now that he had to share it, and he felt watched every single step he took. Not that one was ever truly alone in Amidala Forest.

Far from it.

There was always one creature or the other watching you, sometimes even waiting for you to show a sign of weakness or fear, but this situation was trickier somehow. Avoiding another human being, seemed so much harder than avoiding grey dwarves or harpies. Armitage seemed to be everywhere where Ben wanted to go, and so Ben spent most of his time just wandering through the forest, keeping away from spots he liked so he wouldn’t run into Armitage.

The days grew shorter and one particularly foggy day, when even the robbers stayed at the castle, and Ben couldn’t convince Luke to train with him in the courtyard, he walked about aimlessly, just as he had done so many times before he’d ever been allowed in the forest. Now, of course, the castle seemed empty of adventure. There was nothing new to explore, except for the dungeon, but he’d leave that for the long winter, when going into the forest might prove impossible.

Coming up from the courtyard, Ben peered into the great hall, where Leia and Obi-Wan were playing with playing dice, while Luke and Han were discussing something in the corner. Some of the robbers some were gambling, some singing, others were tending to the livestock in the stables. This day was a dull one for sure.

            With a shrug, Ben turned away from the scene and started climbing the stairs to the battlements. He might just as well go up there and talk to Little Poe and Karé who were on guard duty that day. As he reached the landing right before the last stairwell, he spotted Karé sitting on the lowest stair. Ben stood for a moment, eying Karé with a raised eyebrow.

            “Poe and I are taking shifts standing out there today,” she said with a wry smile. “If something happens he can alert me easily. Don’t tell Leia though, okay?”

            Ben frowned, but nodded. He knew exactly what his mother would say if she found out about this, but telling on these two was out of the question as well.

“Anything new up there?”

Karé shrugged. “Just one of their guards. They’re taking turns as well.” She smiled again and shrugged. “The wind is picking up at least, so the fog should be gone soon.”

With a slight nod, Ben pushed past Karé and walked up the stairs, only stopping when he heard a familiar laugh.

Poe’s laugh.

Ben froze for a moment. He hadn’t expected this. Pulling himself together, he climbed the last steps on his tiptoes until he had reached the open door. The icy wind hit him hard in the face and he could see the first snowflakes rush to the ground with the rain. And there he was. Little Poe. Standing with his back to the door, and opposite him a tall man with twinkling dark eyes, whose smile froze, when he saw Ben standing in the doorway.

“So what’s your name then?” Poe asked, who hadn’t seen Ben yet, of course.

“The name’s Finn,” the other one said, hands on his hips. “You got company.”

Little Poe whirled around and when he saw Ben standing right behind him, the smile vanished from his face. He grew pale all of a sudden. His dark curls were sticking to his forehead and he shook his head slightly, but didn’t speak.

Ben felt his insides twist. He couldn’t understand what was happening here. Was Little Poe befriending this person? This Hux Robber? “What’s going on here?” he asked hoarsely and Poe smiled weakly, almost apologetically.

“It’s cold up here, Ben,” was all he said and Ben turned away from him without another word.

 

It started to snow in earnest then. Ben didn’t tell anyone about what he had seen, though with a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach. Little Poe didn’t look at him, either and the absence of Poe’s laugh made Ben more than uncomfortable.

Not three days afterwards Luke called Ben into the wood workshop, as he was heading towards the gate. With a bright smile, Luke put a set of two long, polished strips of wood on the table in the centre and Ben couldn’t help but gasp.

            “For me?” he asked and Luke nodded.

“Han and I made them,” Luke grinned. “Be careful though. It’ll take some getting used to.”

And it did. Ben had seen the robbers run down the narrow path to the canyon on skis the previous winters, but somehow that had looked so easy. How hard it was to remain standing upright, with two, slick pieces of wood stripped to the boots, was something he hadn’t quite expected. The first time he tried them on, he couldn’t stop himself sliding down the soft slope, and only when he grabbed a tree branch, and the momentum made him lose balance so he landed on his backside, did he finally stop moving. Frustrated, he marched home, swearing loudly and promising to himself never to step onto skis again.

So of course, next day, when he saw them leaning against the wall in the Great Hall, with the stick Luke had given him as well, he put them over his shoulder and trudged back into the forest and he didn’t give up until he finally managed to get down the slope without falling over and he managed to stop without reaching for another treacherous tree branch. He still felt a bit wobbly on the skis, but at least he managed to stay on and the longer he practiced, the more daring he became, so that one morning he decided to take on a new slope. He spent hours preparing the snow, making sure that it was firm enough, before catapulting himself down time and time again, until a blood-curdling scream above made him lose his balance. He cursed, but was unable to stop the fall, as the right ski got caught on a tree stump almost hidden beneath the snow. His weight must have freed some portion of it, and now it made him stumble. The second ski rushed forward, and his right leg sunk through the layer of snow and the ground beneath.

“What the-“ Ben gasped, ignoring the searing pain in his backside. He must have hit a fox’s burrow or something. With an effort, he tried pulling his leg free, but to no avail. He tugged and pulled again, tried using his hands to get to dig his way out, but the ground was too hard and his hands shaking too much.

His eyes were burning and he blinked, trying with every fibre of his being to ignore the cold wind biting into his skin. But still the tears streamed down his face hot and stinging.

“Come on…” he hissed, pulling at his leg again, but without success.

A terrifying, blood-curdling scream made him freeze and his heart contracted painfully. He didn’t have to look up to see what had made that scream.

And there it was. The harpie, a black, creeping shadow high above now, but getting ever closer. There was no way to run. No way to hide. He was stuck here. In plain sight!

“Human!” the harpie shrieked, cackling in her high-pitched voice, as she flew in circles, ever lower and lower, until he could feel the wind her wing was creating. “Little human! There you are!” she laughed and Ben looked at her, staring into her unearthly, beautiful face, before her sharp talons came into focus.

He ducked, as she swooped over him, her claws scratching the top of his head almost lovingly. “Just wait for me and my sisters, lovely boy!”

Ben hiccupped, not daring to look up again. She’d scratch his eyes out. She’d tear him apart. She’d get her sisters and take him to their cave and he’d be their prisoner. Clasping his hands over his head, he tried making himself smaller, but the harpie’s claws ripped his gloves open, scratching his skin.

“Just wait!”

Peering up, he saw the harpie flying upwards again, soaring over the treetops and heading back towards the mountains where their caves were.

It had started snowing again, thick flakes slowly drifting down on him. Trembling, he looked at his hand. With a whimper, he saw the blood trickling down into the blindingly white snow. The scarlet droplets would be gone soon. The harpies would be back before long, and if they couldn’t get him out either, they’d kill him here and there and the blood would be covered by the snow before morning. Leia and Han would never know what had happened to him. They’d never find him. Nothing but that ski he had lost would be left in the spring. And they’d comb the entire forest, they’d scream and shout and cry and never have their child back. He was going to die here. Alone. Not forgotten, but surely lost.

He was shaking from foot now, the faces of his parents, of Luke, of Obi-Wan clearly before his eyes. And he hadn’t even talked to Little Poe again. The aching in his chest made him choke. Sniffling, he tried again to free himself, but he was shaking so hard, he barely had the strength to grab his leg.

“Don’t cry…”

He had imagined the voice. He was alone. There was no one here. No one but the harpies that were coming for him.

“Hey, Amidala…”

Ben blinked.

Tentatively he looked up, staring up at the person looming over him now.

With a shake of his head, Armitage Hux kneeled down next to him. “It’s okay. Let me get you out of here.” The tone of his voice was still soft, his blue eyes warmer than Ben had ever seen them. He nodded, unable to say a word and his heart leaping at the sight of another human being. Smiling encouragingly, Armitage took of the other ski.

“Come on, put your arms around my neck,” Armitage leaned in closer, his breath warm on Ben’s skin.

Still trembling, Ben did as he was told and with a mighty pull, Armitage freed his leg. Ben’s knees felt weak, but he still managed to stand, clutching his scratched and bleeding hand to his chest, while Armitage went to fetch the other ski.

“Can you walk?” Armitage asked, looking up at the sky. But it was still grey. No spots of black were announcing the harpies coming back.

Ben nodded, but before Armitage could start heading towards the forest, holding both the skis in his hands, Ben swung his arms around him again, pulling him close and blinking away the tears. “Don’t leave me again,” he whispered, breath catching in his chest. He was talking to a Hux robber. He was grateful to a Hux robber… Leia would kill him. But right now, he didn’t care. He’d be safe. He’d be back with Leia and Han and this boy here was the reason for that.

Armitage laughed. “Alright,” he grinned, pulling away. “Just keep your distance, robber boy.”

Ben grinned, and let Armitage push him towards the forest’s edge again.

Side by side they made their way towards Amidala Castle and with every step they took, Ben felt his trepidation growing. He was on the verge of getting himself into big trouble with Leia. He knew it. But there was nothing he could do now. He owed Armitage his life, and if he was honest, he had never been so happy to see someone’s face as he had been back on that icy slope.

He was still cold, still bleeding, even though Armitage had done his best to bandage the wound, but he was also free. No harpies would take him to their caves tonight. He would not freeze to death. And all because of this boy. When they were almost at the canyon, Ben stopped and turned to look at Armitage, who would have to take another route to get back to his home.

“Thank you,” Ben whispered, his voice shaky.

Armitage nodded. “You saved my life too, you know.”

That was true, too. It was a bond that would not be easily broken. “I guess so.”

Armitage grinned now and he shrugged. “You’re pretty decent.”

“So are you.” Ben was silent for a moment. Here was another boy his age. Someone who wouldn’t tell him he was too young to go anywhere with him. Someone who loved being in the forest as much as he did. How had he not seen this before. “Wish you were my brother.”

“I’ll be your brother!” Armitage said, stretching out his gloved hand. “It’ll be more fun that way.”

Laughing, Ben took Armitage’s hand. “See you tomorrow then!” he grinned, utterly relieved.

“See you tomorrow, robber’s son.”

 

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6_

 

 

But the next day made it impossible for Ben to go out into the forest. The snow kept falling through the night and by morning they were snowed in. The canyon was blocked, and that was their only way out. Karé couldn’t even make it down to the spring, so they had to melt the snow they found in the courtyard and in front of their gates.

            When Ben woke up, already anticipating the day and his meeting with Armitage, he stormed to the window, and then he heard his father say they couldn’t get out through the canyon, so they’d have to spent the winter inside the castle. Ben’s heart sank. By the looks of it, he wouldn’t be able to see Armitage again for a very, very long time. When snow fell like this, it barely ever left before the winter was out. Even he knew that.

            He felt a giant lump in his throat as he walked down the stairs to the Great Hall. How was he supposed to contact Armitage now? Could it be possible that he had only just gained a brother, only to lose him the very next day? Twenty-four hours ago, he would never have thought it possible that he’d feel indebted to another human being like this, but here he was. The brother of a Hux Robber.

            Of course he hadn’t told Leia what had happened in the forest the previous day. He hadn’t told anyone and he wasn’t going to. It wasn’t worth the endless discussions and fights that would ensue. Additionally, he wouldn’t risk not seeing Armitage again, because Leia would make sure that didn’t happen if she ever found out.

            As Ben walked into the Great Hall, he saw the robbers gathered around the long table, eating porridge and talking loudly amongst themselves. Ben sneaked on the bench next to Luke, but didn’t feel like eating at all. Had it not been for Armitage, he wouldn’t even be sitting here and no one here was to know how brave a Hux Robber could be.

 

Instead of joining the robbers in helping to keep the courtyard free of the snow that kept falling continuously, Ben took to walking along the empty corridors of the castle. He didn’t go up to the battlements, especially not after Little Poe slipped and fell one day, breaking his leg. Luke later told Ben, that it had been a Hux Robber, who had kept Poe from falling into Hell’s Gap and who had called for help. But that incident hadn’t resulted in the truth. On the contrary. Leia posed more guards on the battlements from that day forward, since she suspected Brendol of causing Poe’s accident somehow.

            Poe, unable to keep guard duty anymore, spent most of his time in the Great Hall from then on, playing cards with Obi-Wan and waiting for his leg to heal. It was more company than Ben could stand, who eventually ended up exploring the dungeon. He’d been planning to do that during the winter anyway, and he couldn’t help but feel disappointed. There was barely anything interesting down here, except for the pile of rocks blocking the passages right underneath Hell’s Gap. They separated Amidala Castle from that part of the castle occupied by the Hux Robbers.

Ben stopped in his tracks on his way to the barrel in which Luke kept the oat cakes. He’d been down here several times over the last couple of weeks, but only now did he realize that something was off. He could hear a soft whistling. Everyone else was upstairs, practicing their sword fighting in the courtyard. Luke had asked him to join in, but Ben had refused. Slowly, he advanced towards the pile of rocks. All was silent again.

He bit his lip, hesitating only or a moment, before he gave a short, sharp whistle. He shut his eyes, concentrating on his breathing. There it was again. That whistle.

“Ben?”

Ben jumped. “Armitage!?”

“Ha! How are you?” The voice came from between the rocks, and Ben could tell that there weren’t too many rock separating them anymore. Had Armitage spent the last couple of weeks moving away the barrier keeping them apart!

“I’m good!” Ben breathed, advancing towards the wall. “You?”

“It’s alright.”

Ben frowned. “Let’s move away the rest of the rocks! I want to see you!”

Armitage’s laugh was all it took for him to grab the first rock and throw it to the side. He heard Armitage moving rocks on the other end and it didn’t take them long to clear away enough rock so Armitage could push through. Ben stepped to the side, picking up the lamp he had brought from above and holding it high so he could see Armitage.

He gasped. Armitage was incredibly pale, even in the dim light and he looked thinner than Ben would have thought possible. Not even his smile managed to soften the blow. “You’re so thin!” Ben exclaimed. “Don’t you have anything to eat over there?”

Armitage shrugged. “We have… but the robbers didn’t manage to get enough to stock, apparently.”

With a frown, Ben pointed at one of the larger rocks and moved over to the barrel he had abandoned before. In the blink of an eye, he was back, carrying several oat cakes and handing them to Armitage. “Eat,” he said in a commanding voice. He was relieved to see Armitage not even attempting to refuse. Instead, the other boy started eating and before he was done, Ben brought him some more. The Amidala Robbers had more than enough to spare, he thought.

While Armitage ate, and told Ben about the shortages, Ben kept staring at his newly found brother with a frown on his face. He felt almost stupid for asking, but only now did he realize that he’d never asked that very crucial question before. “Where do they get these things?” he asked quietly and Armitage stopped in mid-chew, his wide eyes fixed on Ben. “The flour and the dried peas and oats and…” he trailed off.

Armitage swallowed hard. “You don’t know?” Armitage breathed, blinking.

Ben felt the colour rise in his cheeks and he shrugged.

“They steal,” Armitage declared, a smirk on his face. “From travellers or from each other… by the looks of it the Amidala Robbers were more successful. But of course the Hux Robbers had to move earlier this year so…”

Ben’s mouth was bone dry and he picked up his water skin to take a mighty gulp. Stealing… that was how they survived. That was what Leia and Han called “the noble profession”. “Isn’t that mighty dangerous?” he breathed, glad that Armitage didn’t laugh at him.

“Well… that’s why we had to leave the Hux Forest, see? The soldiers were on our heels. It’s not easy and it’s dangerous and-“

“And I bet people don’t like it much when you take their stuff without permission.” Of course he’d never witnessed Leia, Han and their robbers doing what they did for a living, but seeing as the Amidala and Hux Robbers apparently stole from each other, and their enmity had only worsened over the last couple of months, he figured that the travellers couldn’t be much happier. 

Armitage nodded grimly. “Can’t be helped, I suppose,” he muttered, swallowing the last of his oat cake. “But I’m glad I managed to sneak in here. For a while there I was worried I might run into one of your mother’s robbers.”

“They don’t come down here much,” he said and looked up at the hole they had created. “But we need to be careful anyway.” If either the Amidala, or Hux Robbers found out that Armitage had created this passage, there’d be hell to pay. “Just don’t stop coming here.” Ben took another sip and handed the water skin to Armitage. “I don’t want you to starve. And maybe we can even manage to smuggle some flour into your storage over there… maybe some dried peas?” He shrugged and caught Armitage smirking. “What?”

“You’d steal from your mother to help the Hux Robbers?”

Ben snorted and returned the smirk. “Well, I am my mother’s son, aren’t I?”

 

Winter had become much more endurable after this day. And though Ben never let anyone spot him sneak down into the dungeon, and no one seemed to be worried about him, anyway. They were used to him being away most of the day, after all.

            He and Armitage did indeed manage to sneak part of the Amidala Robbers’ provisions into the barrels of the Hux Robbers and Ben was happy to see that Armitage soon started gaining weight again. In return for this, Armitage decided to show Ben how to throw knives and soon afterwards Ben and Armitage started practicing sword fighting as well.

            Winter wasn’t as cruel anymore from that day forward.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! If you don't hear from this fic over the next few weeks, it's because I'll be on holiday. I will probably (most definitely) write, but I can't say when I'll be able to post anything ;) See you at the end of October at the latest!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm back! Thank you so much for all the lovely comments and for sticking with this fic! It means a lot!

_Chapter 7_

 

Poe’s leg didn’t heal as well as it should have, and when he could finally walk on it again, it was with a very visible limp. And though he didn’t seem to be too distressed when spring came, and it was time for the robbers to head out again, Ben felt bad for him, watching him from the ramparts, as he slowly made his way towards his horse and then jumped up into the saddle. It didn’t seem to hurt too badly though. Little Poe laughed as heartily as ever, as the robbers made their way through the gate, Leia in the lead.

            “Aren’t you going out today?” Luke asked next to him and Ben turned slightly to grin up at his uncle. He had to squint in the bright sunlight. Most of the snow had melted away days ago, but only today had the robbers decided to head out again.

And today Ben and Armitage would meet in the forest again. Though they had seen each other most days during the winter, Ben was looking forward to showing Armitage all his favourite places within the forest. But most importantly, Armitage had promised to show him how to shoot with a crossbow, and Ben would teach him how to fight. “Of course, I’m going out,” he said smilingly. “But I can walk, can’t I? Don’t need my mother to carry me around with her on horse like a piece of baggage.”

Laughing softly, Luke brushed through Ben’s hair. “She has to watch out. I’m not sure she’s noticed how much you’ve grown this last year.”

 

He met Armitage on the edge of the meadow, where the wild horses could usually be found. The horses were nowhere to be seen, but it didn’t matter to them. It was nice, seeing his brother out in the open. He was still pale, but not as thin, as he had been the day they had managed to meet in the dungeons of Amidala Castle.

            With a loud whoop, Ben pulled Armitage into a tight hug.

            “Don’t squash me!” Armitage laughed. “Didn’t we have plans?”

            Grinning, Ben let go of Armitage and shook his head. “Yes, we did. I’m just happy to be out of the castle for once!” He took a deep breath, as he looked around the meadow. At the dandelions, golden dots amid the soft emerald grass. He laughed. “It’s spring!”

            “Yes, I’m aware.” Armitage frowned, but today his frown couldn’t put a damper on Ben’s mood.

He stretched out his arms and let out a scream. A scream so shrill and uncontrollably loud, that he saw Armitage press his hands to his ears. Ben didn’t care. This scream, this joyous shout was the only possible reaction to this day. To this feeling. To spring.

A few moments later he was out of breath, but determined to keep going. Armitage slapped his hand over Ben’s mouth, before Ben could start again.

“Have you fallen on your head on your way down here?” Armitage hissed, shaking his head. When he pulled his hand away, Ben was still grinning. A grin that couldn’t even be wiped away, when Armitage added: “What about the harpies.”

Ben shrugged, but decided to keep the rest of the scream inside for the time being. “I needed to greet spring, didn’t I? I’ve been waiting for it for too long.”

At this, Armitage broke into a smile. “That I understand.” He reached behind the tree and pulled out the crossbow he had brought with him. “My father gave it to me for New Years,” he explained again. “He thinks it’s time for me to learn the business.” He rolled his eyes. “I guess he’ll drag me along soon enough.”

Now it was Ben’s turn to frown. He couldn’t imagine Leia forcing him to do anything he didn’t want. Things seemed to be quite different in the Hux household. “Where are we going to shoot?” Ben asked, not sure how to comment on Brendol without offending Armitage. They hadn’t become brothers, only to start fighting again straight away.

Armitage shrugged. “Let’s find a spot further inside. Somewhere where the harpies can’t spot us as easily.” He looked up at the deep blue sky with narrowed eyes. The harpies weren’t anywhere to be seen.

They trudged through the forest, looking for a good spot to practice, when Ben spotted a movement somewhere to their right. He stretched out a hand to stop Armitage. Out here in the Amidala Forest anything could leap at you from anywhere at any given time. His heart, beating wildly in his chest, he pushed Armitage away and drew the dagger Luke had given him for New Years. He wasn’t without a weapon anymore.

Looking down at the reddish blade glistening in the noon sun, he slowly pushed towards the clearing where he had seen the movement. If it were a being of the underworld, it would’ve attacked by now, but he had to make sure. A rabid wolf could become a problem as quickly as a wild boar. And then he saw something, that made him stop dead in his tracks. Behind him, Armitage’s foot caught on a dead branch, which broke with a giant snap and Poe and the stranger broke apart. They whirled around, weapons drawn to face whatever danger had interrupted them, but when they saw Armitage and Ben standing there, they lowered their swords straight away.

 

 

Ben blinked. He hadn’t expected this. Hadn’t expected Poe to betray his mother like this. To betray the Amidala Robbers, who had stood by him through thick and thin all his life. The stranger by his side, a dark-skinned young man, was staring at Armitage without blinking. And then Ben realized that he was just as bad as Poe. He, too was betraying the Amidala brothers by befriending Armitage Brendolson Hux. But this was different, wasn’t it?

Was it?

Ben bit his lip. Probably not. He didn’t know anything about this stranger, did he?

The stranger reached out and took Poe’s hand, a defiant look on his face and Ben couldn’t help but feel a surge of vicious pride when he felt Armitage take his hand.

 

They hadn’t spoken. What should they have said. Ben looked at Armitage all the way to the path leading up to Amidala Castle. The stranger’s name was Finn, Armitage had told him, once Finn and Poe had disappeared into the underbrush, still holding hands. They hadn’t practiced shooting or fighting that day. Instead, they had sat in the sun, eating the last of the precious apples. They had talked. Just like they had talked all winter, but today things were different. They knew they weren’t alone. Were Brendol and Leia, the heads of the two robber clans, the only ones stupid enough to see that this feud was positively ridiculous? Ben didn’t want to dwell on that too much. He didn’t want to think of his mother as stupid or short sighted.

            “Let me go on ahead,” Armitage said at the foot of the hill. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He grinned, and Ben nodded.

            “Tomorrow,” he agreed and watched Armitage clamber up the hill, until he was out of sight. He had a brother. And no one would take him away now. Especially now, that he had an ally in Poe.

            When he reached the canyon, he found Karé and Snap deep in conversation. They smiled brightly at him, urging him on to hurry up. To get up to the castle as quickly as possible. Apparently, Leia and her robbers had had a good day. With a grin and a nod, he hurried up the steep path and into the castle, just as the sun was setting behind the western mountains. He could hear the robbers laughing and singing, before he had even entered the Great Hall and when he pushed the door open, he saw some of them dancing on the table in the centre.

            His heart missed a beat, when he caught Luke’s eye. Luke, who was standing on the far end of the hall, right next to the fireplace, a stern look on his face. He shook his head and motioned for Ben to leave. An odd gesture.

            “Ben!” Iolo shouted and waved at him.

            Ben’s eyes moved towards the voice, over Poe, who was sitting alone in a corner, which was unusual in itself. And then he saw Armitage.

            Armitage lying on the ground at Leia’s feet, a bloody streak across his forehead. His eyes focused on Ben. Ben, who felt the air being knocked out of his lungs. Armitage at Leia’s feet.

            She looked up. Smiling. And she strode over to him. Put her hands on his shoulders and smiled. “Look at that,” she smiled. “Look what I caught.”

            Ben’s throat went dry and he blinked. Was this a dream? It had to be! “You… you caught…” he couldn’t even hear his own voice, as tears shot into his eyes.

            “I know, it’s not pretty.” She shook her head and behind her back, he could see Han do the same. Han shaking his head, almost disbelievingly. “But it’s the only way. We can get the Hux Robbers out of here! Finally! Without bloodshed.”

            Without bloodshed… and what was that on Armitage’s forehead? “Let him go,” Ben whispered. Just a whisper, but everyone fell silent.

            Leia furrowed her brow. “Let… let him go?” she laughed. Timidly now. “Don’t you see-“

            But Ben interrupted her. His world seemed to be shattering around him. This wasn’t happening! This wasn’t Leia! This wasn’t Leia, who had the funniest laugh, who gave the warmest hugs! This wasn’t her! “Let- him -GO!” And he raised his hands. Pushed her away.

            She flinched, her eyes wide and a shadow passed over her face. “How-“

            “Shame on you!” he shouted, wanting nothing more than to get closer to Armitage. To take care of him! Take him away from here.

            Leia stood stock still, suddenly wavering. Suddenly seemingly unsure, but when she met her son’s gaze, she made an impatient gesture. “Ben-“

            “SHAME on you…” Ben’s voice cracked. He couldn’t even breathe anymore. He couldn’t see through the veil of tears. “I don’t care if you steal gold and clothes and food, but not people. NOT PEOPLE!” He felt a pair of hands on his shoulders and he didn’t have to look up to know it was his father who had taken a stand next to him. Beside him. He wasn’t alone. But the look on his mother’s face. The look of despair, made him want to turn and run. He felt something important, something vital slip from his grasp. Respect for his mother.

            “Leia, why don’t you go.” Luke spoke up. It wasn’t a question. Not a suggestion. It was almost a command.

            Speechless, Ben watched as Iolo picked up Armitage and threw him over his shoulder.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know... Leia is different and I have to admit I struggled with it myself.... but I believe she cornered herself here... not sure she could allow herself to row back in this situation.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this took forever. You know what it's like when real life gets in the way, don't you? ;) Thank you for your patience!

 

It was the longest night Ben had ever had to live through. Neither he, nor Han found any sleep. Ben could hear him pacing in front of the fire, while he just stared up at the ceiling. Where was Armitage now? Was he alright? For the first time in his life, he was terrified of his mother. Of what she might do. The scratch on Armitage’s forehead should have answered that question. She had either hurt Armitage, or had allowed one of her robbers to hurt him.

            The thought alone made his throat go tight. How could that monster be his mother? How could Leia be a monster? He blinked the tears away, a bottomless fury gnawing at his insides as he turned on his side. He didn’t have a mother. It was as though he was falling, falling into a bottomless pit, with nothing beneath him to catch his fall. Had he been this blind willingly, or was she this good at deception? He wasn’t sure. All he knew was, that Han was just as terrified as he was.

            At some point during the night, the pacing stopped and when Ben turned around, he saw his father standing in front of the fireplace, back turned to Ben and his silhouette was barely visible in the dying embers. Still, Ben could she that Han was leaning heavily against the sill, his shoulders shaking with soundless sobs.

            They didn’t speak. Not even after the first rays of greyish sunlight had illuminated the room and the robbers had started assembling in the Great Hall below. Luke hadn’t even made breakfast, his refusal to cook the only visible statement he dared to make. But Leia didn’t tell him off. In fact, she kept her silence, just like everyone else. She merely looked around at them, her eyes ignoring Ben’s hateful stare. With a curt nod, she turned on her heels and strode off to meet Hux and his robbers at Hell’s Gap. Armitage in front of Leia. Pale, but upright. The fear was clearly visible on his face.

            As they moved up the stairs, Ben felt a tentative hand on his shoulder and when he looked around, he saw Poe walking right behind him. He didn’t meet Ben’s gaze, but the expression on his face, told Ben everything he needed to know. The lengths to which Leia would go to get back at Hux, terrified even him. Ben swallowed hard and nodded. Poe and he were in the same boat. Poe was friendly with a Hux robber as well, so Poe must understand what he was going through.

            They reached the door leading out onto the battlements faster than Ben would have liked. He moved slowly to stand right behind Leia. Close enough that she couldn’t see him and far away, so she wouldn’t sense his presence. He could see the back of Armitage’s head from where he was standing. If he had dared, he need just stretch out his hand to touch Armitage’s, but he didn’t dare, and he hated himself for it. Han was close by. So was Luke, but neither looked happy to be there. Even Obi-Wan had made the effort to come up here. And there, across the wide abyss were the Hux Robbers, Brendol Hux staring silently across Hell’s Gap at his son, his expression unreadable. His men were standing around him, just as silent as he was. None of them moved. It was a fearsome sight to behold, but Ben didn’t care. Whatever was going on over there, however alien these people looked to him with their straightened shoulders and grim faces, Armitage would be safer with them than here. His throat was tight, and he could barely breathe, as he watched Brendol take a tentative step towards the edge. The sound of small rocks trickling over the ledge and dropping down into nothingness rang loudly in his ears.

            “This is low,” Brendol said, his voice booming across Hell’s Gap, without him needing to raise it. His blue eyes were fixed intently on Leia, who didn’t shrink away one inch. “Even for you.”

            “Give me a break, will you? Do you want your son back, or not?”

            Ben saw Finn shift slightly, finger fidgeting at his sides as he did his best not to look at Poe.

            “You know, I do! What do you want, Amidala?”

            Leia raised her hand above Armitage’s head, and only now did Ben see the slim rope she had knotted around his neck. She held him on a leash like a dog. Armitage wouldn’t be able to escape like this, and if he tried and slipped, he’d hang himself, dangling from Leia’s arm over the sheer bottomless abyss.

            “You know what I want. I want you to leave my castle and never come back!”

            Brendol didn’t need to think twice. His eyes shifted to Armitage for a bare second, before he nodded. “Fine! We’ll need some time to relocate, though. But give him back to me, and I promise we will have left before the summer is over.”

            Leia’s cold laugh chilled Ben’s blood. He shuddered and closed his eyes, so he didn’t have to see her as she spoke again. “Very well then. You’ll be happy to know that your boy won’t get wet until then. We have a few cosy cells down here and we will keep him safe until you’ve moved out.”

            Tears shot into his eyes and his nose prickled uncomfortably. So, this was what Leia had in mind, then. This was the plan she had thought of. The only way she could come up with to rid her of this nuisance that was Brendol Hux in her castle.

            Leia’s opponent took a deep breath, his face draining of colour. A few of his robbers had their hands on their swords now, even if everyone knew that a fight over Hell’s Gap could only lead to disaster.

            Ben moved them, unable to take it any longer. With a jerk he pulled free of Luke’s grip on his shoulder. A grip, he hadn’t even felt until then. He turned away and made towards the door, entering Leia’s field of vision in the process. And she was looking at him. He knew she was. And he knew what he must do now. His pat was clear. Without another moment’s hesitation, he whirled around and started running. He had done it before, and the knowledge that he could do it, was all he needed to repeat the feat. With a mighty lurch, he jumped over Hell’s Gap and as his feet left the ground, he heard Leia’s scream. Her shout of anguish and betrayal as he soared through the air and landed right in front of Finn. He looked up at the enemy. His enemy. It was easier facing him than Leia, whose voice was still ringing in his ears.

            Finn’s eyes showed nothing but surprise and utter shock at what he had done, but before Ben could even shake his head, or blink away the tears, a big hand seized his forearm and pulled him to the side. Brendol smiled now and Ben took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he would see when he looked up.

            “You see, Leia, we have a few nice cells here, ourselves. And I promise you that your son won’t freeze to death either. And that you will get your son back, the moment you return mine.”

            Ben didn’t drop his gaze, even though the faces of his parents tore at his heart. Poe was staring a him, his emotion unfathomable and Luke’s jaw was firmly set, but none of them spoke. Not even Leia. Her eyes were glassy, and he returned her stare, knowing full well that what he had done would crush her. If it hadn’t already. She let the hand holding Armitage’s leash drop to her side.

            “Take your son, then,” she said in a toneless voice as Armitage’s eyes met Ben’s, full of hope and that spark of profound sense of humour. A spark, which extinguished with Leia’s next words. “But you can’t return my son. I don’t have a child.”

            Ben kept staring at her, eyes filling with tears, as she stared at Brendol. Not at him. Not at her own son.

            “Well, I do! And I’ll be damned if I let you keep him!” Han was as white as a sheet, his eyes wide and when he took a step towards the gap, Luke’s hand landed on his shoulder. He shook it off with a jerk. “Now!”

            Leia didn’t speak. She didn’t look up and Ben felt his heart break as she turned and walked away, her steps heavy.

            Brendol’s grip on Ben’s shoulder didn’t slacken one bit.

            Luke stepped past Han and slipped the rope off Armitage’s head, his eyes dark with grief. What had happened here would surely haunt every living creature within these walls. It had to. How could it not. And his gaze showed his deep concern.

            Without looking back, Armitage shrugged off Luke’s helping hand, took a few steps back and then jumped over the abyss. He landed right in front of Ben. There eyes met and through his tears Ben could see that Armitage knew exactly how he felt. And that Armitage would have done the same for him.

            “Ben!” Han called, but Ben didn’t turn to look at him. “Come back!”

            Ben nodded slightly and threw his arms around Armitage. He didn’t care that everyone was staring. That everyone could see. Armitage was safe and that was all that mattered, he told himself. How he should face his mother now was nothing he could think about now.

            Armitage was trembling, and Ben knew his friend was on the verge of crying himself. With a curt shake of his head, Ben let go. He smiled, though his heart was breaking.

            “Ben!”

            He didn’t hesitate a moment longer. He jumped, flying once more through the air and Luke caught him.

            “What is there between you two?” He heard Brendol ask.

            “He’s my brother,” Armitage said, loud and clear for everyone to hear and the slap in the face was so loud, it made Ben whirl around.

            “Don’t touch me!” Armitage hissed, his cheek scarlet, ripping free of Brendol’s grip, before he stormed off.

           


	9. Chapter 9

It took Ben several days to find the courage to venture back into the forest again. The atmosphere seemed subdued, the sounds of the birds somehow muffled. Neither Leia’s, nor any of the Hux Robbers had left the castle since the exchange at Hell’s Gap, and Ben felt like he was starting to suffocate in Amidala Castle. Leia’s constant absence from the Great Hall in combination with Han’s grim face, made it next to impossible to find joy even in the porridge with cinnamon, which Luke had cooked especially for him. Obi-Wan’s snarky remarks didn’t help much either.

            He’d reached the lake. With a sigh, Ben sat down on a log. He felt no desire to run around, climb trees or even keep working on the bow, which he had started on days ago. He picked up one of the stones lying by his feet. It felt cold, but smooth in his hand. The cracking of twigs behind him, made him spin around. He couldn’t even smile, when he saw Armitage approach him, a bulging sack over his shoulders. “What do you have in there?”

            “Supplies. I’m leaving.”

            Ben sat up straight at this. “What do you mean?”

            “I meant that I’m leaving. I can’t stand it anymore. All that shouting and the harsh words. I’m done.” He was sneering now, his gaze fixed on a spot in the distance.

            “Sounds about right,” he mumbled, took aim and threw the stone far away from him. It broke the water with a loud satisfying splash and sank to the bottom of the lake. He got up and turned to Armitage. “Fine, I’ll come with you. Will you wait for me here, while I go and fetch my things?” If he wasn’t Leia’s child anymore, then she surely wouldn’t mind him leaving, would she?

            Armitage shrugged. “You sure?”

            “I am.” Ben nodded and put his hands on his hips. “I’m just as fed up. Leia doesn’t want me near her anymore. She doesn’t even come down for meals anymore.”

            Armitage surveyed him for a moment. “Alright. But I’m going up to the old bear cave. I took a good look at it yesterday and it seems to be suitable.”

            A wave of unwanted relief washed over Ben then. It was oddly comforting, that they’d at least be staying relatively close to the castle, where they might pick up the occasional snippet of news. “Alright,” Ben said. “I’ll try to get some provisions as well.” It wouldn’t be hard. Hadn’t he discovered how little Luke paid attention to how much food went missing this last winter?

            A crooked smile sneaked on Armitage’s face. “See you then, robber’s son.”

 

Ben had to wait until nightfall. He couldn’t very well return to the castle, pack his things, steal provisions and stroll out the gate five minutes later. So, upon his return, he tried to act normal, which these days meant keeping to himself, staying away from everyone as much as possible. He sneaked as much food into his bag as he could. Bread, flour, salt, some milk in a wooden bottle and dried meat.

            When he lay in bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling, he heard Han pacing the room, like he did every night. Leia hadn’t turned up for dinner. Nothing unusual these days, but it felt even worse today. Ben hadn’t seen his mother once since that moment at Hell’s Gap and Han didn’t look at him either. Not anymore. Not if he could help it. Han’s steps echoing through the room drove tears to his eyes and the pain in his chest was almost too much to take. He had lost both of his parents with a single action. Or had he? Hadn’t he lost them the moment they had decided to take his brother hostage? His brother in all but blood.

            Ben turned to his side, clutching the bag he had hidden under the blanket with him tightly to his chest, as he swallowed the tears. Han was heading to bed now and for a moment Ben felt like speaking up. Like saying something. Would Han ask him to stay? Beg him to forgive what his mother had done? Ben doubted it. And that doubt was like an enormous pressure on his chest, choking him, robbing him of the ability to breathe. He’d lost both of his parents that day. And they seemed to have lost each other.

            When Han’s breathing had turned into soft snores, Ben slowly crept out of bed and put on his shoes as quietly as he could. When he slipped out of the door, he refused to look back. He stopped dead at the foot of the stairs down to the courtyard. The shape he saw from where he was standing was one he’d known all his life. Obi-Wan was sitting on the stool from where he usually observed the goings-on when the weather was good. He was staring up at the stars and didn’t even wince, when he heard Ben’s footsteps.

            “Where are you going, boy?”

            Ben shrugged, pulling the bag closer to himself. “Does it matter?”

            “It will to your parents.”

            Ben couldn’t help but sneer, but he didn’t speak. He walked past Obi-Wan without even looking at him anymore, though he could feel his heart trembling with pain every single step he took. “Take care of Luke, will you?”

            Obi- Wan was silent and for a moment, Ben thought the old man hadn’t heard him, but as he reached the gate, he heard Obi-Wan’s soft voice ringing in the cool night air, making the hair on Ben’s arms stand on end. “See you around, kid.”

 

Walking was easier, once he had closed the gate behind him and once he had passed the robbers positioned at the end of the canyon without speaking a word to him. They didn’t try to hold him back. Just like Obi-Wan hadn’t tried. Their words still echoed in his ears though….

            _Don’t do this to Leia._

            How dare they? How dare they accuse him of hurting Leia, when she hadn’t hesitated to steal an innocent boy from the woods and hold him prisoner. Just because he was the enemy’s son and good leverage?!

            Ben brushed the tears out of his eyes, as he climbed the rocks leading up to the bear cave. He’d gone up there several times, but never before had he ever thought he’d live there some day. And now it would be his home. His and Armitage’s.

            From afar he could already see the fire Armitage had lit and Ben started walking faster. He smiled widely, when he reached the ledge, where Armitage was sitting on a log he must have dragged here. The fire was burning brightly, a plucked bird roasting on a stick close to it.

“Hey, Brendolson.”

            “Hey, Leiason.” Armitage smiled and pointed at the log, where there was plenty of room for Ben to sit on as well. Ben took a deep breath and looked around. It all looked tidy, there was even a small pile of firewood in a sheltered area near the cave’s entrance.

            Armitage pulled the bird towards himself and tested the hot skin with his fingertips as through trying to determine weather or not it was ready to eat. The smell was delicious.

            “You’ve been busy,” Ben said.

            “I had the time, didn’t I?” Armitage smiled. “This one was nesting in the cave. I caught it, before I started sweeping it clean. We’ll have some eggs for breakfast, too.” He blinked and ripped a leg off the bird. “Looks good.”

            “It does.” Ben sighed. “Thank you for all of this.”

            “Not nearly done. I guess we should start making some stuff. And I forgot to bring a bucket for water.” Armitage ripped another leg off for himself and took a tentative sniff.

            Ben nodded and bit off a huge chunk of meat. It tasted delicious, albeit a bit burned on the outside. The fat trickled down his chin and he sighed with satisfaction. “You can cook.”

            “Well, I learned from Finn.” He bit his lip. “He does most of the cooking now and he showed me how.”

            “Poe’s a good guy, too,” Ben mumbled as he wiped the fat off his chin. “Do you think they’ll be alright? Him and Finn?”

            The silence on Armitage’s part was the only answer Ben needed and a confirmation on Ben’s suspicions. “Well, if it doesn’t come out they will be,” Armitage said softly, eyes fixed on Amidala Castle, which was lined out against the rising, dark red moon. “But… these things tend do come out, don’t they?” They should know. Hadn’t they tried to play a similar game?


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, this chapter is fairly short, but I'll be back with more soon. Thanks for following this fic!
> 
> I wish you all a couple of peaceful and happy days and if you celebrate at all : Merry Christmas!

Life in the cave was refreshingly different from living in the castle. So much so, that it took Ben some time to get used to it. For the first time in his life he was surrounded by the forest the whole day and the whole night and he loved every minute of it.

            They’d managed to steal the bucket from the spring from where the Amidala robbers usually got their water and had spent the first day making weirs and arrows for Armitage’s bow. Time flew by and soon Ben had lost track of the days since they’d run off. Every morning he woke up to look at the Castle with its two high towers reaching up to the sky like broken teeth and he felt his heart contract painfully as he wondered what Leia and Han and all the others were up to. If they missed him at all.

            “What are you thinking about?” Armitage asked, handing Ben a piece of the bread they had baked themselves on the makeshift stove they’d set up.

            Ben shrugged, taking a huge bite of the bread, which was still so warm he almost burned his tongue. “Just what they might be talking about over there.”

            Armitage took a small loaf of bread and sat down next to Ben. “Brendol is furious,” he muttered. “That’s how he reacts when something doesn’t go as planned. Kind of loses it.” He didn’t look at the castle, but at his shoes. “But he’s a good leader. That’s why the others follow him despite his temperament.”

            Ben scowled at that and took another bite of bread. He wasn’t sure if the same could be said about Leia. She was fierce and ruthless, yes, but she rarely lost control in front of her robbers. She was different that way. But he would never say that to Armitage. His friend didn’t need to hear that. “Han will have gone quiet, I suppose. He rarely spoke when I was still there after it happened. And Luke… Luke’s the one keeping everyone together. He’s always been good at that.”

            “You have a big family, I always forget about that.”

            “I don’t have a family,” Ben answered, when what he really wanted to say was _I don’t have a mother._

            Armitage was quiet for a while, chewing on his bread. They must have been here for about three weeks and had settled into their routine rather nicely.

            “Want to go and see if we’ve caught anything?”

            With a groan, Ben lay back, putting his hands behind his head as he looked up at the white puffy clouds overhead. “You know it’s weird,” he said. “Salmon tastes great! The first two or three times at least. But after about a week…” he trailed off, basking in Armitage’s laugh.

            “Believe me, I know. Maybe we can find something else today,” he suggested. “Might shoot a bird or something.”

            Ben snorted. “Or something.”

 

The fish they had caught was gutted in next to no time, though Ben would’ve preferred it, had they not caught anything. He’d rather live on the berries they found and the roots, which he dug out of the soft ground. But of course Armitage was right. They needed to stock up on as much food as they could, because one could never know what would happen next. And so Ben didn’t complain as they shouldered the food they’d gathered and made their way back up the slope towards their cave.

            He stopped dead after a few steps, grabbing Armitage’s elbow to make him stop. He’d almost missed her, sitting there at the water’s edge, almost hidden by rocks.

            Armitage followed his gaze and froze, staring at the creature with the stone grey feathers and the face that sharp angled, and yet soft at the same time. When she cocked her head, the movement reminded Ben immediately of the bird he’d mistaken her for at first. The three buns on the back of her head wobbled slightly, as she turned her head again and then fixed her pale yellow eyes on them again.

            This was no harpie, and yet, at the same time, she was. But she looked younger. So much younger than the ones Ben had seen before. No… she couldn’t be one. Harpies almost never landed on the ground. Not if they couldn’t be sure of their prey. And here was this one creature, somewhere between harpie and girl, staring at them with almost pleading eyes.

            Armitage reached up slowly and squeezed his hand. “Who are you?” he said to the harpie girl sitting there behind the rocks, about ten feet away from them.

            Ben looked up at the sky. They were clearly visible from where they were standing now. Clearly visible and if the harpies wanted to get them, they had next to no chance of spotting an ambush.

            The harpie girl opened her mouth and flapped her wings, eyes wide with fear. With a screech, she took to the air, he giant wings beating heavily.

            “What was that?” Ben asked, half wondering if they should take a detour before heading back home.

            “I don’t know, but this was weird.”

            Ben nodded, but he had a vague suspicion. “Let’s head home.” That girl wasn’t a full harpie, but neither was she a full girl. She didn’t look like the child of a harpie either. He felt a hollow sensation spreading through his gut. What if the harpies caught children, took them to their caves to work for them and then… over time… what if those children, or at least the girls, became harpies themselves?

            Ben shivered despite the sun’s efforts to heat up the riverbank.

            Armitage nodded with a scowl. “But let’s go the long wa-“

            The familiar sound of wood snapping, made Ben whirl around, but he’d barely lifted bag filled with roots in defence, when he saw the four men, clad in silvery armour and the heavy wooden bat landed on his head.

            The world went dark.


	11. Chapter 11

 

He felt sick. Every movement made him feel like throwing up and his head was spinning. And he was moving. Not of his own accord. And it smelled strange.

            _Horse_ , he thought.

            Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes. All he saw was the brownish red of the fur of the horse he was on. A heavy hand rested on his back and he heard a shushing sound.

            “I’m sorry, boy,” a deep male voice said, “Our captain thought you were one of the robbers.”

            Ben shook his head, trying to grasp what the man had just said. The horse stopped and the man patted his shoulder. “Come on, sit up.”

            But Ben couldn’t move. He blinked confused and barely held back a groan, when the man forced him upright somehow, moving one of his legs over the horse’s back. He was dizzy and fell back against the man’s broad chest.

“Are you alright?”

Ben nodded, blinking. There were half a dozen men on horseback, all of them in uniform and heavily armed. With a sudden lurch, he realized that he couldn’t see Armitage. He called out his name in a faint voice and it took a while before he saw the movement ahead. A second pair of legs draped across the back of the horse in front of him.

“Is that your friend’s name? He wouldn’t speak.”

Ben swallowed hard, his throat dry as he realized that these weren’t Hux Robbers. They were soldiers. He felt like his head was going to explode, but he couldn’t focus on that now. He had to think. Quick… but his mind seemed to be lagging behind.

“Where are you from? Did you run away from home? Dangerous area around here. I’m Lando by the way.”

His eyes were about to fall shut again and there wasn’t much he could do to stop them. His stomach tightened and he felt the bile rise in his throat as the world spun around him. The man wrapped his arm tightly around him and called out to someone in front. Ben couldn’t make out the words and everything went dark again.

 

When he came to, he felt soft grass beneath his fingertips. There were voices around him. One angry, one defiant.

“He’s injured, captain! He was going to fall off the horse.”

“We can’t risk staying here! The robbers are still out there, Lando.”

Ben opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was the green foliage above him.  He wasn’t being rocked or shaken anymore and a familiar hand reached for his.

“Can you walk?” Armitage asked in a whisper and Been shook his head. He wasn’t even sure he could sit up. Next moment Armitage had pushed into his field of vision, a concerned look on his face. “I thought you were dead when they hit you like that. But your skull is pretty thick, right?”

“Right… who are they?”

“Soldiers, I think.”

Not exactly something he hadn’t figured out himself by now, but Armitage’s confirmation wasn’t particularly encouraging.

“Listen, they’re taking us into town.”

Ben pulled a face. He’d wanted to get away from Leia, yes, but not that far away. “Well, that’s not ideal,” he muttered, not realizing he was quoting Obi-Wan.

“We need to move.” It was the soldier who had carried Ben with him on his horse. His dark eyes showed all to plainly that he didn’t exactly appreciate his captain’s orders.

Ben nodded and took the water flask Lando handed him. He drank thirstily, even though the water was warm and tasted stale. Without a word, he gave the flask to Armitage as Lando knelt down in front of him so they were on eyelevel. The other soldiers were starting to get back on their horses.

“Seriously, though. What are the two of you doing here? Don’t you know it’s dangerous in this forest?”

“Ran away.” Ben said, avoiding Lando’s gaze. It was the truth… up to a point.

“Let us go.” Armitage said fiercely. He held the flask in his hands, unwilling to drink. “We’re not going back.”

“Listen, kid,” Lando said, “I don’t give a damn what you want. This is no place for you and-“ a loud rumbling noise made him flinch and whirl around The horses neighed in panic, stomping excitedly and dust filled the air as a whole landslide of rocks came crashing down on the path in front of them. The soldiers shouted warnings at each other and Lando ran off to get his horse back. Ben caught Armitage’s gaze. Neither of them had realized they were so close to the hills. A heavy weight landed on Ben’s shoulder, making him whirl around. His head was spinning as though it were still lagging behind and it took him a moment to realize the robber he’d seen with Poe had put one hand on Ben’s shoulder… The face came into focus a split second later than it should have.

“Finn!” Armitage exclaimed, clapping a hand to his lips at once.

Finn nodded once and motioned for them to follow him. Ben looked back at the soldiers who were still busy trying to calm their horses, but Lando had already caught his. Soon he’d be heading back.

Ben scrambled to his feet and at once Armitage was by his side, wrapping an arm around his torso.

“Quick,” Finn muttered, bending back the branch behind which he’d been hiding and at this moment Ben didn’t even care if he was taken hostage by the Hux Robbers next. As long as he didn’t end up in town, where he’d be asked all kinds of questions.

He blinked, barely able to stand, but as the noise behind them grew more frantic as another wave of rocks tumbled down on the path, he found it in him to walk. And he didn’t have to go far. He just kept his eyes focused on Finn’s back as the robber pushed through the underbrush. They soon reached a small clearing, where two horses were waiting. Just two… Before he could ask where the other robbers were, he saw a figure stumbling through the underbrush on their right.

“They’re right behind me!” Poe shouted, flashing a grin at Finn. “We’d better get going.”

Without ceremony, Poe lifted Ben up on the horse and jumped up right behind him. Ben didn’t look back to see if Finn was following suit with Armitage, but he probably was. Next moment Poe had urged his horse Bee to move and Ben felt his stomach lurch as they rode back into the forest, twigs and branches hitting his face as they went, while his head seemed to want to fall off. But he held on tight to the saddle and was grateful Poe’s arm was around his chest to keep him on the horse. He couldn’t even see where they were going, but after what seemed like forever, they finally slowed down and as the horse stopped, Ben couldn’t hold it in any longer. He bent low over the horse’s back, which snorted as Ben emptied his stomach on the ground next to it.

Poe patted him on the back. “Think we lost them?”

“About ten minutes ago.” Finn laughed. “Is your friend okay? What happened.”

“They hit him on the head.”

Ben came up gasping for air. His head was spinning even more now and he had to rely on Poe to get him off the horse. He couldn’t stand being on that damned thing any longer. A cool hand on his forehead made him sigh with relief and then he felt Poe wipe his mouth. “You’ll be okay, kid,” Poe muttered. “Let me take you to Luke, huh?”

“No,” Ben rasped, coughing.

“Ben…”

“No!” He said it more forcefully and sat up, head resting on his knees and eyes closed.

            “How did you find us?” He heard Armitage say. “Where are the others?”

            “We sneaked off…” Finn replied. Ben couldn’t see his face, but he could hear the smile in his voice. “We saw the group of soldiers on the path with the two of you and we figured…”

            “Yes, you were right…”

            A hand rested on Ben’s back. “Anything I can do for you?”

            “How is L- how is everyone?” He asked, glad his arms were shielding his face from Poe so the other didn’t see the tears of humiliation. He’d never wanted his mother so badly and had never been further away from her in his entire life.

            “Miserable, of course. Being a robber isn’t fun anymore. Not since you left.”

            “Not that being a Hux Robber has ever been that much fun,” Finn said and then added: “You know what I mean!”

            Armitage sighed. “Yes, I do.”

            “And… Han?” Ben asked.

            “Quiet. Not as quiet as Leia, but he doesn’t speak to anyone but Luke, while Leia is just grim and angry.”

            “She doesn’t even say my name, does she?”

            Poe was quiet and that silence was all Ben needed to know. Things were terribly wrong and there was not a thing he could do to make it better. Not if Leia didn’t see what was really going on.

            “Come back,” Poe said softly. “I’m not sure what’ll happen if you don’t.”

            Ben almost choked on his tears then, but he shook his head. “You can tell her that I won’t come back unless she asks me to. And that’ll never happen!”

            Poe sighed. “Should we take you back to your cave then?”

            “How do you know where we live?” Armitage sounded surprised and Ben chanced a peek at him and Finn.

            Finn laughed. “Where else would you be? Do you really think you’re the only ones who know this forest inside and out?”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was sick for quite a while, that's why this took so long. I'm sorry! But here we go! There it is: the next chapter! :-D Enjoy!

The next few days Ben caught himself staring at the castle. The lights illuminating the windows by night could be spotted from where he slept inside the cave and the view made something in his chest ache painfully. He had to turn around to face the wall then. The problem was that the warmth these lights promised was even harder to ignore as weeks passed by and the summer was slowly, but surely fading away again, giving more room for the autumn cold to start gnawing at his toes by night. The only thing he could do then, was curl up into a tight ball and try not to think of Leia or Han, or of how warm it would be inside the Great Hall.

            Ben and Armitage didn’t talk about their encounter with Poe and Finn anymore, but they spotted the two of them occasionally, and at one point they even saw Armitage’s father chasing a couple of soldiers through the underbrush. The boys only barely managed to get away in time, but from the distance Ben was sure he could spot Lando.

            They spent most of their days rummaging through the forest as though nothing was off. The only difference between the time they spent among the trees now and the time when they’d both lived with their clans, was that they had to take care of getting food by themselves and that they weren’t alone anymore. They grew closer every day, spending every minute of every single day doing whatever they liked. Soon Armitage was just as good at sparring as Ben was, while Ben still lacked the patience he needed to hit a moving target with his bow and arrows. But he didn’t give up, mostly because he didn’t want to lose face in front of Armitage, but the more time passed, the more frustrated he got and the less like it was for him to hit anything.

            Soon the frequency of downpours of rain increased and the wind picked up speed on days, when the sky was overcast and it became clearer and clearer that summer was almost over. And what then? Every morning when he woke up, limbs stiff with cold, he had to think that this summer might very well have been his last, for if the next winter turned out to be only as half as bad as the last one, they wouldn’t survive until mid-winter. But he didn’t speak up, didn’t ask Armitage what they were supposed to do, because he saw in Armitage’s face and in the frown he wore whenever he thought Ben wasn’t looking, that his brother was thinking the very same thing.

            In a desperate attempt to set up some stores at least, Ben started collecting nuts and drying a few portions of the meat they managed to catch. It wouldn’t be nearly enough, he knew, but he had to do something. He also saw Armitage collecting more firewood than usual, he even started to weave a rudimentary door for their cave. It would keep most of the wind out, surely, but what would happen if one night a bear showed up to reclaim the cave in which he’d lived every winter of his life? What then?

            “Ben, stop thinking so loudly,” Armitage said, eyes fixed on the reed he was holding and which he was weaving through the holes he could still find in the door.

            “I’m not.”

            “Yes you are.” With a sigh, Armitage put the door in his lap and put another piece of wood on the fire burning in front of their cave. “And I’m sorry, but this is the best I can do.”

            Ben smiled. He couldn’t help it. Armitage had been complaining about how hard it was to make a door like this so often now, but in Ben’s opinion, it looked as good as any basked Obi-Wan had ever made. Armitage wanted to distract him. That was all. Even if it meant talking about things that were of no consequence to anyone. Even if it was just a bit of bickering. Ben shrugged and looked out at the castle again.  He only wished he could be warm again. He wished Luke, at least, had sent him a message. But Leia had probably forbidden it, and even though Luke rarely did what Leia told him, he would’ve thought he’d do it for him, as well. This disappointment wasn’t harder to bear than the constant pain about having lost his parents, though.

            “I should go, get us some water,” he said and got up.

            Armitage nodded. He’d follow in a few minutes to help Ben carry the heavy bucket back up to the cave. He looked down at his work and adjusted a few reeds. Ben had heard him flinch that night, as the howl of the wolves had echoed through the darkness. The sound had made Ben lie stock still and he wished for a stick or any other sort of weapon, but any movement had appeared like an impossible task. Every time he blinked, the shadows seemed to creep in closer and so he had closed his eyes against them , ignoring the rustling of leaves in the wind and the ominous _tip-tap_ of sharp claws on the rocks outside. He refused to imagine what sort of animal it was, but that morning he’d found a black feather right next to the ashes of their fire as he started lighting it up again. He told himself that the wind could have blown the feather there, that any bird might have lost it as it sailed over the cave, but he’d dropped it in the fire as soon as he heard Armitage approach.

They were in mortal danger now. If the cold didn’t get to them, the harpies or the wolves, or a bear surely would. But going back was still no option. Just thinking about his parents made him want to curl up in a tight ball and cry, but he couldn’t go back.

He grew tired of telling himself that. He grew tired of reminding himself of what he’d lost and why. Of what had happened at Hell’s Gap and the night before that.

Without looking back at Armitage, he grabbed the bucket had made his way down the narrow slope leading down to the spring where they got their water, ignoring the spots where wild boars had obviously started digging up the earth. It was still summer, he reminded himself, and the trace of yellow on the leaves above was nothing but a trick of the light.

As he rounded the last bend of the winding path, he heard Armitage’s steps behind him, the swish of the stick as he lashed it through the bushes on the right and left of the path, but that wasn’t the thing that made him stop dead in his tracks.

There was a figure, sitting by the spring, narrow shoulders twitching, her body almost doubled over as though she was in pain. He would’ve recognized her anywhere. But the sight still turned his blood into ice. And he wanted Armitage to go away again. He didn’t want him to see this or to hear the little sound, which fought its way out of his throat at that very moment.

She whirled around at the sound and stared up at him, her eyes were fiery red and he knew she’d been crying for a very long time then.

He made a tentative step towards her, knowing full well that he couldn’t yell at Armitage to stay behind. He wouldn’t listen, and Ben wasn’t even sure he had it in him to form any coherent words.

“Ben,” she muttered, her own voice almost failing her, but she didn’t approach him and with every second she waited to say what she’d come here to say, Armitage was drawing ever closer. Leia took a deep breath and wiped her eyes. “Ben… Poe said… he said that you’d come back if I asked you to?”

Ben pressed his lips together and nodded. No apology from her, but he didn’t need it. His heart was beating wildly as he made another step towards her.

“Well…” She cleared her throat, just as a twig snapped behind Ben and her eyes shifted to a spot over Ben’s shoulder. Armitage had arrived, but he didn’t distract her. She just took a deep breath. “Well, I’m asking you, if you want to come back, Ben. I didn’t do it before, but I’m asking you now. Please, come back. I… I beg you.”

He rushed forwards, unable to keep himself from flinging himself into her arms. He would never have thought he’d be this desperate for her embrace, for her warmth and her incredible smell. Her tears fell on his hair as she pulled him closer and he heard her whisper his name. He gave himself a moment. A moment in which he enjoyed the way his heart contracted in pain and joy at the same time. A moment in which he allowed himself to believe that she was his once more.

He sobbed softly, before pulling away. “I’m your son again?”

“You’ve always been.” Her brown eyes glistened with even more tears and her smile would have been intoxicating, hadn’t there been the uncomfortable stinging sensation in his chest at her next words. “So you’re coming back?”

He threw a look over his shoulder. At Armitage, who was standing by the end of the path now, arms hanging by his sides. No one had come to get him back. No Finn, no Brendol and Ben could see the defiance on his face. When their eyes met, Armitage turned on his heels and started walking back up the path.

“Leia…” Ben muttered as he turned back to his mother.

She nodded and wiped her eyes again. “Of course, he can come, too. I may not like who he is, but that can’t be helped now, can it?” She looked at Armitage again and shouted: “You’re welcome to stay, Hugs!” She mispronounced the name on purpose, but she was still smiling.

Ben shook his head, but he didn’t return her smile. “Give me a moment,” he muttered, as he pulled free and left his mother’s embrace again to storm after Armitage.

“Hey!” he shouted, before he’d reached his friend. “Come with us!”

“No thank you, “Armitage hissed, as he took even longer strides to get back to the cave.

Ben sighed. Why did he have to be this damn stubborn? “Don’t be stupid!”

“I’m stupid?!” Armitage shouted, whirling around again to face Ben again. “I won’t stay with the Amidala Robbers to play their whipping boy! No, thanks! I’d rather freeze to death.”

“Now _that_ really _is_ a stupid thing to say! And it’s damn selfish and wasteful, too!” Ben shouted, pushing past Armitage, his gut so full of anger he barely kept from screaming in frustration.

“Why wasteful and selfish?” Armitage spat back and Ben could hear his brother’s footsteps behind him, as he trudged up the path again.

“Because you’re not only throwing away your own life, but mine as well! Because I won’t let you stay here alone, don’t you get that, you idiot?!” Ben turned around slowly then, eyes narrowed and as he saw Armitage staring up at him with blank eyes, he knew he’d won.

Armitage scoffed, his blue eyes ablaze with fury the very next instant. Armitage wouldn’t let him die here or in the deep snow of the winter forest, just as Ben wouldn’t let Armitage die at Hell’s Gap or here. Because that was what they did. Even if it meant admitting defeat.

“Fine…” Armitage said as he turned around again to walk back down the path. “Don’t ever call me that again, Amidala!” Armitage told her, as he approached her, head held high. “Thank you for the invitation, but I’d rather stay with my own clan.”

Leia nodded, relief clearly visible on her face. She got up and started walking towards the horse she’d brought. On her way, she put her arm around Ben’s shoulders, pulling him with her. He didn’t feel like pushing away. He was glad to have her arm around him. He had her back! She was his mother again! And Han and Luke and Obi-Wan and Poe… everyone would be waiting for him back at the castle.

“But you’ll visit Ben, right?” She asked, looking at Armitage, as she lifted Ben up in the saddle and held out an inviting hand to Armitage. He ignored the offer of help and swung himself up behind Ben.

“Not every day, but yes. Definitely.” He put his arms around Ben, who heaved a sigh of relief. They were going home.


	13. Chapter 13

Han awaited them at the canyon. From afar Ben could see him pacing in front of it long before his father had even spotted them.

            Armitage jumped off the horse before they’d even gotten out of the forest and after a quick goodbye, hurried off towards the opposite side of the castle, where the Hux Robbers always climbed up the castle wall. Ben looked after him, until Armitage had vanished among the trees and bushes, before he looked ahead again. He’d see Armitage again. Every day if he wanted to, and they’d survive this winter. He and his parents were together again. Things were turning around! If he and Armitage were allowed to stay friends, then the Amidala and the Hux Robbers would have to find a way to co-exist as well!

            Han’s face brightened up, when he saw his wife and son emerging from the forest and he stopped dead in his tracks. The smile on his father’s lips made Ben feel as though a heavy stone had dropped off his chest and he slipped out of the saddle as soon as Leia stopped again. Han’s arms were around his shoulders before he’d even found his footing, but he didn’t even mind leaning against him and hugging him back.

            “Welcome home, son,” Han muttered, pressing Ben even closer towards him.

 

That day the Amidala Robbers couldn’t and wouldn’t stop celebrating. As soon as Leia, Han and Ben entered the castle, the robbers started cheering and clapping and no one, not even Luke, thought of stopping them bringing the beer barrels up from the cellar, although it was only the middle of the day. No one cared about anything but the fact that Ben was back and that both Leia and Hand were smiling again, that they were singing again, and that joy and happiness had returned to Amidala Castle.

            Ben watched the robbers dance and sing, even old Obi-Wan, who usually complained loudly about his bad hips, wouldn’t be stopped from joining in the festivities. He and Luke even danced together, arms wrapped around one another, each man holding a massive tankard of ale in one hand. Ben had never seen his uncle this drunk, but he didn’t comment. He was too happy to have his mother and father sit by his side most of the day and tell them about his and Armitage’s adventures in the forest.

            As the sun began to set and Luke drunkenly started preparing the meal for the evening, Leia and Han went to dance with the other robbers again. For so long there had been no reason to dance and sing that the atmosphere within the Great Hall was as merry as it had never been in all of Ben’s life.

            He watched as Poe clapped Snap on the shoulder and then started walking towards Ben. There was no doubt about it. The wound the arrow had caused hadn’t healed properly, and he was still limping. Probably would for the rest of his life, but Poe didn’t seem to mind. He sat down next to Ben on the stairs leading up to the dais, which hadn’t been put to any use since Lord Vader, who had once lived in this castle, had left.

Poe smiled crookedly at him. “I’m glad you’re back,” he said, bumping his shoulder into Ben’s.

            Ben lowered his gaze and nodded. “So am I. Thank you for-“ he couldn’t say it. He was surprised that the words wouldn’t come out of his mouth, but he couldn’t help it. He was grateful Poe had talked to Leia. Grateful Poe had been the messenger. He looked up tentatively, only to see Poe still grinning at him.

            He shook his head. “It’s alright, kid.”

            “What’s new with you?” Ben asked with a frown, unsure of how much he could say aloud without here in the Great Hall without giving Poe and Finn away.

            “Nothing.” Poe shrugged and leaned back, elbows resting on the topmost stair of the dais. “Same old, same old.”

            “Do you think it’s ever going to get better?” Ben lowered his voice, thinking that Poe’s predicament must be all the more excruciating today. Ben and Armitage were lucky enough to be the respective chief’s son, but Poe and Finn… they had no chance of standing up to Leia or Brendol the way Ben and Armitage had done.

            “Not sure… you know Obi-Wan and Luke have been talking to Leia these past few weeks. There have been more soldiers in the forest than ever before and they know we’re fighting amongst ourselves. Luke and Obi-Wan want Leia to negotiate with Hux.”

            Leia, who was standing close by with Luke, had heard them and turned around, a fiery spark in her eyes. “And what would those negotiations lead to?”

            The music Snap and Karé had been making on their flutes died down abruptly as Leia approached Ben and Poe. She looked stern and it was all too clear that she’d overheard at least some of the things Poe and Ben had been talking about.

Luke sighed audibly. "Do we really have to do this right now? Today?"

Leia frowned at him and then turned again to Ben. “I told you, your friend could come here anytime, but being friends with Brendol Hux is completely out of the question.”

“And what are we going to do about all the soldiers roaming through our forest?” Poe said calmly. He didn’t get up or avoid Leia’s gaze. Something had changed these past few months. He still looked up to her, that much was clear, but it was as though he saw eye to eye with her now. “Leia, if we carry on like this, it won’t be long until they lay siege to the castle.”

“He’s not wrong, you know?” Obi-Wan added as he sat down on one of the benches. He was still out of breath, still held an almost full tankard in his hand, and his eyes were twinkling in the light of the torches and candles, but he looked directly at Leia. “We’re in big enough trouble as it is.”

Leia folded her arms across her chest and turned to look at Han, who merely shrugged. For a moment, Ben thought she was going to start shouting again, telling them all to go to hell if they were too afraid to face the soldiers alone, but then her eyes met Ben’s and after a minute they softened. She sighed heavily and nodded.

“Go talk to your boyfriend then,” she said quietly.

Poe flinched, but he didn’t say anything, merely stared up at Leia with his mouth hanging open. “M-“ he began and broke off again.

“I’m not stupid, you know?” She took a deep breath and nodded again. “I saw you sneaking off more than once and believe me, I know what that’s like.” She threw a look at Han and Ben realized that there was bound to be more to the story his mother and father had told them about their past, than he would’ve thought. “It’s alright. I know you’re loyal. Just- just tell him to fetch Brendol and tell him I need to talk to him tomorrow morning.” She shook her head and brushed her fingers through Ben’s hair. “But I’ll be damned if I give up my rights as chief.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning in the end notes.

 

The talk over Hell’s Gap was not something Ben wanted to witness. He’d heard enough arguing and fighting on the last occasions and that was enough to last him a lifetime. So, instead of waiting patiently in the Great Hall, he ran back into the forest after breakfast and wasn’t at all surprised to see Armitage there as well.

            For the rest of the day they resumed their life of almost limitless freedom in the forest. Only towards the end, as the sun began to set and a flock of about twenty harpies appeared in the blood red sky above them, did they start heading back at a run towards the safety of the castle, but their screeches still rang in their ears when they reached the canyon.

            “What do you think happened to the girl?” Armitage gasped breathlessly, clutching his side. His light eyes were still turned upwards, searching the sky for another sign of the creatures.

            “I’m pretty sure she’s one of them already,” Ben muttered. He didn’t have much hope for her. When they’d seen her, she had already been more beast than human. He was almost certain the creatures of the night had turned and twisted her heart and body by now. Snoke’s people managed to do that easily, Obi-Wan had told him, without elaborating who Snoke was. Ben only knew one thing: Snoke, whoever that sinister being was, commanded the creatures of the night, the harpies, the fog and the Unearthly-Ones, the grey dwarves and every other thing that was dangerous and magical.

            Armitage shuddered. “I’d better get home,” he said quietly, and Ben nodded in agreement.

            “Just… go through Amidala Castle. Jump over Hell’s Gap. These harpies are flying low today.”

            Armitage heaved a sigh, but he didn’t protest. “I really don’t like this,” he muttered. “Today of all days.” He didn’t greet the guards at the canyon as he and Ben walked past them, but they pretended like they didn’t see him either, and Be had no idea what to make of it.

            “I guess it couldn’t get any worse, right?” At least the Hux and Amidala Robbers had agreed on a ceasefire for the time being, but things were still tense to say the least.

            Armitage merely grunted. And he was probably right.

 

They managed to get to Hell’s Gap without meeting anyone, but the sounds coming from the Great Hall were a clear indicator as to where everyone was. What took Ben by surprise was the fact that they didn’t encounter a set of guards up at the chasm. Both Leia and Brendol seemed to have ordered their respective guards to stand down. At least until the negotiations were over.

Armitage threw him a weak smile, when they stepped outside again. “Talk to you tomorrow?”

Ben nodded. “Sure.”

They said goodbye and as soon as Armitage had jumped over to his side and closed the door behind him, Ben stormed down the stairs and into the Great Hall, ignoring the fact that several winged shapes had appeared in the darkening sky.

 

Obi-Wan, being the oldest living robber inhabiting Amidala Castle, had taken his time explaining to everyone how a chief used to be chosen in the days long before the Amidala and the Hux Robbers had even been a concept. Back then, the aspiring chiefs of a newly formed band of robbers had to compete in a set of trials in which they had to prove their cleverness, their strength and their loyalty. The trials were set to take place in the course of three days and both Leia and Brendol agreed to the terms. As they all sat in the Great Hal, Ben saw Brendol Hux for the first time up close for a long stretch of time and he was amazed by the freezing cold in his stare. How Armitage had brought himself to go back to his father, Ben couldn’t say. Leia could be cool and rough herself, but never this distant – at least not until this summer, he reminded himself with a shudder.

            Armitage was sitting next to him during Obi-Wan’s explanation and out of the corner of his eye, Ben saw that Finn had taken a seat next to Poe. Their knees were touching, but nothing else in their postures revealed how close they actually were. They didn’t even look at each other

            When Obi-Wan was done, Armitage bumped his shoulder into Ben’s and nodded. “This is gonna work,” he whispered, and Ben smiled weakly in response.

            “It has to, doesn’t it?” He refrained from adding his opinion on who would win in the competition Obi-Wan had laid out. No sense in rekindling the old fight between them now.

            Brendol and Leia got up to speak quietly, while the two bands of robbers started heading for the door.

            “I hope Leia wins,” Armitage said, his voice still so low that only Ben could hear him, is words almost making Ben choke on his own spit.

            “Sorry, what?”

            “Armitage! Come!” Brendol had moved towards the door and he was staring at them with those icy eyes, fists clenched at his sides.

            Armitage sighed. “You heard me,” he whispered and jumped up to follow his father outside, his shoulders hunched until he caught up with Brendol. Before they vanished out of sight, Ben saw Brendol throw Armitage a single look and his friend stood up straight at once.

            Ben caught Luke’s eye. He and Obi-Wan were the only ones left behind apart from him. Leia, Han and their robbers were accompanying the Hux Robbers back to Hell’s Gap, bantering the whole way there about which chief would win.

            Luke winked at him and made his way over to the dais where he was sitting. “You did well, you know?” Luke sat down next to him, while Obi-Wan took a seat on one of the benches, pulling a face as he did so. He’d been complaining about his bad hip more than usual lately and only now did Ben realize how ancient he looked. Heck, Obi-Wan had been a robber even before Ben’s grandmother had started out.

            “Don’t forget this whole thing was my idea,” Obi-Wan said and Luke rolled his eyes.

            “Yes, well done, oh, Master Kenobi,” Luke smirked. “But you have to admit that Ben forced Leia into this position. Just as Armitage forced Brendol.”

            “We’ll see how it goes. I just hope the boy doesn’t suffer because of it.”

            Ben’s throat was bone dry. So he wasn’t the only one who’d seen how tense the situation between father and son was.

 

The first trial, proving the cleverness of the candidates, consisted of three games of chess played in succession. The first game was won by Brendol and Ben felt his heart sink when Leia lay down her king, but it became apparent really quickly that Leia hadn’t put up much of a fight to figure out Brendol’s strategy. Consequentially, she won the second round and when the third round started, Ben was sweating. His father’s hand was on his shoulder, tense and trembling whenever he released his grip even slightly. He only started breathing calmly again, when Leia managed to force Brendol in a spectacular last minute check mate and the evening ended with Luke’s famous lentil soup and the Amidala Robbers celebrating loudly and happily.

            The second day of trials didn’t hold up the promise of the first. Leia was a good fighter and she was quick and cunning with her sword, but Brendol was sneaky and since there were no rules in a robber duel apart from the one law that no one should be maimed or killed, he managed to trip and overwhelm Leia, before he even broke a sweat. Leia was honourable. Brendol wasn’t.

            And so the third day started and Ben didn’t manage to stand still the whole day while Leia and Brendol were out in the forest. Armitage, too didn’t seem too calm. Leia and Brendol had to steal something as a team, work together and Obi-Wan hadn’t told them how the winner of this trial would be determined. Two robbers out of each band had went along with them as witnesses and they had to be back at dusk. As the sky started growing darker, Ben and the others who had remained behind started heading down towards the canyon to wait. But they didn’t show. Not even once it had grown full dark and the winter chill started spreading to their limbs and as time passed, everyone grew quieter and quieter and before long even the sounds of the forest seemed to abate. When the quiet became unbearable, the fog started to rise and Armitage’s hand closed around his. It was icy cold.

            Finally, after what seemed like hours standing in the dead darkness, they heard the sound of hoofs on the forest path. Finn and Poe were the first to emerge out of the forest, their faces revealing nothing. They were followed by a tall blonde woman and Snap. They, too didn’t dare face anyone. And then there was Leia leading a horse carrying a lifeless form.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Death of a parent.


	15. Chapter 15

 

A papery thin layer of frost covered the ground on the day they put Brendol Hux to rest.

            Ben felt the crispy ice crush beneath his feet as he followed his parents and Ben towards the lake and he refused to look up at the clear, blue sky overhead. Looking up would have seemed disrespectful. Not that he mourned Brendol’s passing, no one, not even Armitage really seemed particularly sad about his passing, but it was obvious that Brendol Hux had been a cunning and brave warrior. A clever robber and an honourable man. Most days of his life, anyway.

            No one had doubted that it had been an accident. After all, not only Leia and her robbers stood witness over what had occurred in the forest, but two of Brendol’s robbers as well. Brendol and Leia had managed to steal a valuable ring from a priest travelling through Amidala Forest without the fat clergyman even realizing what was happening. From what Poe had told the robbers, both Leia and Brendol had been clever and sneaky, even managing to get a blessing from the priest before he went on his way. But on the way back, as everyone had mounted their horse and they started heading back towards the castle, a young, beautiful harpie had soared so close over the cover of leaves overhead, that Brendol’s horse, an inexperienced mare he’d caught and tamed that very summer, had shied and thrown off her rider. Brendol didn’t have a chance. The robbers did their best to try and stop the bleeding from his head, but when they finally managed to stem the flow, Brendol had already lost consciousness.

            Back at the castle Obi-Wan and Luke had done all they could, but they hadn’t been able to stop the internal bleeding. Within hours Brendol had passed away.

            And now here they were. On the edge of the lake, a light boat was floating on the steely grey water. They’d placed Brendol’s body inside on a thick layer of straw and oil-drenched wood. One of his robbers, a young boy named Kallus, had made sure he looked his best. The body was surrounded by his weapons and the mighty sword in his hands glistened dark red in the morning sun.

            Ben didn’t take his eyes off Armitage, who was standing motionless by the boat. He hadn’t talked since his father had died, but he’d spent every waking hour by Ben’s side, his face an unreadable mask. Their bond hadn’t been severed. Armitage would remain by his side. They were brothers. Now more than ever.

            Finn and Kallus stepped forward then, the sound of their footsteps breaking the silence, as they pushed the boat further out onto the lake. It floated away from them quickly, as though Brendol’s spirit was urging it on. No one spoke, but they all watched as the boat slowly but surely made its way towards the centre of the lake. Out of the corner of his eye, Ben spotted a small, feathered creature with brightly coloured plumage hop out of a bush. He’d never seen a creature like that, but he couldn’t find it in him to smile at its flashing colours.

            The sound of Armitage’s bowstring made him turn his attention back on his friend. Leia held out a torch to him and he lit the cloth tied around the arrow head on it. Armitage didn’t look her in the eye, neither did he look at anyone else. His shoulders were tense, his posture perfect, the way Ben’s had never been during all their long hours of practice during the summer.

            Leia took a step back as did everyone else, and her hand on his shoulder was comforting, which was odd in itself. Up until that point Ben hadn’t thought he needed comfort. He raised his hand and touched his mother’s. Finn had taken his place by Poe’s side and Luke was standing by Kallus. Already the two groups of robbers were becoming one. Finn had emerged as a natural leader in the two days since Brendol’s death. He’d coordinated and organized the funeral and he’d been the one to suggest a bridge should be built over Hell’s Gap.

            Brendol was dead.

            Could a lasting peace have been successful, had he lived?

            Ben wasn’t sure and he shuddered at the thought.

            Armitage’s aim was true.  It always had been. He stood still as the boat with his father’s body in it caught fire, but his shoulders relaxed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it. I hoped you enjoyed this ride. I'm sorry this took so long. Life is always getting in the way at the moment, but I'm doing my best to keep writing.
> 
> If you'd like, please check out my other stories! And I'd really appreciate your comments if you find the time!
> 
> Thank you all for your support!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment, if you can spare half a minute. 
> 
> Feel free to say hi on [tumblr](http://sourlander.tumblr.com), too!


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